A High School Hate Story
by TBLewis
Summary: It's literally what the title says. Take all of our beloved characters and throw them into a modern day high school, and you get a hilarious ride filled with love, heart-break, anger, and redemption. This is my first story for ffdotnet, so bear with me.
1. Chapter 1

AN: Hey guys. I'm not quite sure what happened but for some reason, I repost my entire story. I'm not sure what this is going to do, but I'm really sorry for the inconvenience. Please R&R. Thanks.

Prologue

It is a truth universally - or maybe school widely is a better choice of words - acknowledged that a senior girl attending Meryton Academy, must be in want of a boyfriend. It's also common knowledge that all the west coast guys are looking for a magazine cover girl. So what's that got to do with me? Well I'll tell you.

My name is Elizabeth Bennett. I'm what you call ungifted when it comes to money and magazine cover looks but my mother is constantly telling me that I would have everything I ever wanted, if I had a rich preferably handsome boyfriend. The attributes she conveniently forgot to mention, such as arrogance, stubborn pride, and disdain for us poor scholarship students, outweighed the money and the good looks. And yet…

Yes the obvious "and yet". As it turned out, I was in for a surprise during my senior year at Meryton. You see this is my romance and even though I love all love stories, mine is my favorite by far. It all started, you see, with a dance. Yes, a good old fashioned dance. No dates, no dresses, and certainly no boyfriends for me. But I get ahead of myself. Let me tell you my story from the beginning not the early middle. Here goes nothing…

Chapter One

I sat in my family room of my home with my best friend in the world. Luckily for me, she was also my sister. We had lived in this house since Jane was born, which was eighteen years ago, and had no intention of moving. My parents had five daughters: Jane, me, Mary, Kitty, and Lydia. It may be hard to believe but I skipped a grade so, Jane and I had been together since kindergarten. Lydia and Kitty had been the same way, only Kitty got held back. Jane and I got into the best school in town, while the rest had to go to normal high school. I know. We have a strange family. Anyways, my parents are either always working or locked in their individual studies. At the moment, my dad was in London, trying to make a smart business deal with the head of his company. My mother had no idea how to pay the bills or manage money so that was left up to me. Like I said, strange family. But I did occasionally get the chance to be a slightly normal teenager. Tonight wasn't that night but the next night would be. Friday night there was a dance. I loved to dance but being a poor girl living in the west coast and going to a prep school as a scholarship student, I didn't get asked out often.

Tonight was supposed to be quiet evening of homework, bills and reading. It started out that way, too. Jane was doing her calculus homework and I was reading my favorite book. There was no TV, radio or anything like that. Just my sister and me, enjoying a quiet evening. Then my youngest sister Lydia burst in.

"Lizzie! Jane!" she shouted.

"On the couch," I called back. Then Lydia came rushing into where we were sitting, babbling unintelligibly. Jane, who was much kinder then me, tried to make sense of what she was saying.

"Lydia please calm down, _then_ tell us what you have to say," Jane said.

"You'll never guess what I have to tell you," she squealed.

"I'm not a big fan of guessing games," I teased.

"Fine I'll just tell you," Lydia huffed. I bit back a smile. "There are three new students coming to your school. All born and raised in England. A Charles and Caroline Bingley, and a Fitzwilliam Darcy." We obviously didn't look very excited because she added, "They're all very rich."

I snorted. "Who isn't at this school?"

"No," Lydia said, "I mean enormously rich. The Bingleys own that really fancy chain of hotels."

"Oh. Do you mean the towering menace down a few blocks?" I asked. "I thought the name sounded familiar."

"Lizzie, be nice," Jane scolded. Just then my other sister, Kitty, flew into the room.

"Did you hear?" she asked excitedly. Jane and I exchanged a look and started laughing.

"What's so funny?" Kitty asked in confusion which just made us laugh harder.

"Nothing, Kitty," Jane said breathlessly.

"If you're going to tell us about the new students, we already heard about it from Lydia," I told her. She looked disgruntled but didn't say anything.

"Well I think it's awesome," Lydia spoke up. "I'm in love with him"

"You haven't even seen him," I reminded her, "let alone met him. Now both of you go bother Mary. Jane and I need to do our homework." The two girls sulked out of the room without compliant as Jane and I stifled giggles.

"Are we really going to do homework?" Jane asked.

"Of course but first let's talk about the new students," I answered.

"Lizzie you knew how much Lydia and Kitty wanted to talk."

"I know but all they see is rich boys who may very well be handsome." Jane gave me a look that made me laugh as I continued, "Well it's true." Jane nodded sullenly then smiled.

"Did you say 'handsome, rich boys'?" This provoked more laughter.

"With your looks you'll get at least one if not both," I said. Jane gave me a hard look but I pretended not to notice. "And they'll fall in love with you, embarrassing family and all," I continued, hugging Jane.

"Lizzie, you're just as pretty as me if not more so," Jane insisted. I just shook my head. Notice how she didn't deny her family was embarrassing.

"I wonder when we'll meet them," she said.

"Well there's that dance this Friday," I pointed out. "Maybe we'll meet them then."

"You're probably right," Jane sighed. I smiled hoping she couldn't see. When she threw her pillow at me, I knew that she had. I laughed again.

"Come on time for Calculus." Jane groaned but we got to work. By ten-thirty all homework was done and we went to bed exhausted.

The next day at school, I ran into Charlotte Lucas, my best friend outside of Jane. Her father was the principal so she knew all the comings and goings of all the students. I ambushed her at lunch as we sat on the grass.

"Spill it," I ordered.

"They're officially coming on Monday," she told me. "I've heard that they're coming to the fall social thing tonight though."

"Perfect," I smirked. "Maybe I can get Jane a boyfriend yet." Charlotte rolled her eyes.

"You're as bad as the cheerleading squad." I stuck my tongue out at her but didn't comment.

"What do you know about them?" I asked. For those of you out there who are perceptive, comment and ask are not the same thing so stop being cheeky. That's my job.

"Well the Bingleys obviously own the Bingley Hotel," Charlotte replied. "Do you know the Bourgh family?"

"As in Bourgh Productions?" I asked. "That Bourgh family?"

"Yes that Bourgh family," Charlotte said. "Well the other guy coming with them is related to them somehow. He's also an old family friend of the Bingley's."

"Fitzwilliam Darcy," I mused. "That name does sound familiar."

"But I mean seriously? Who names their kid 'Fitzwilliam'?" Charlotte said.

"The pompous, rich kind that wants to prove their child is perfect even with a horrible name," I smiled. The bell rang and Charlotte went to math, while I went to AP English; my favorite class because of my teacher, Miss Tillman. She taught with ease and most of the students liked her. Those who didn't, either didn't get her cynical, witty humor, or had done something so stupid, she didn't like them. I was, luckily, neither of those.

"Welcome class," she greeted us that day. "How many of you are going to the Fall Social?" We knew that random outbursts weren't tolerated so those who were raised their hands. "Good, good," Miss Tillman smiled. "I have set up four corners. I know that you think this is freshman worthy and you're pEddieably right, but it needs to be done. In corner one, those who want to be going to the dance. Corner two: those who are going but don't want to be. Corner three: those who wish to go but can't. Corner four: those who don't want to be going and aren't."

"What if we have no opinion about it?" one student called out.

"Did you know that I asked the exact same question once?" she said. "My teacher refused that as an option and made me go stand in a random corner anyways. That is why there is corner number four, George. If you do not care about going, stand in corner four."

"Oh I already know which one I'm going to stand at," George said, "I was just curious as to how you would react." Miss Tillman smiled.

"Curiosity is a dangerous thing," she said.

"Is that where the saying, 'curiosity killed the cat' came from?" another student asked.

"I suppose so," Miss Tillman replied, "but there's another part to that saying. 'Curiosity killed the cat but satisfaction brought it back'. Are you satisfied, George?"

"Perfectly," he smiled.

"Good, now everyone to your corners," Miss Tillman ordered.

"This sounds like the beginning of a wrestling match." Some boys snickered in corner one. I was standing in corner two, but they were obnoxiously loud.

"You never know what a good debate might lead to, gentlemen," Miss Tillman said, amusement sparking in her deep blue eyes. They looked puzzled but I hid a smirk behind me hand. Once she had turned around I heard them whisper,

"I don't get it." This had me stifling a giggle and Miss Tillman looked at me with a raised eyebrow.

"Lizzie, is there anything you would like to share with us?" she asked.

"I was just laughing because I find it hard to believe that people don't get your jokes," I answered bluntly. "I think they're quite funny but they become funnier when buffoons don't understand the simplest witticisms."

"I'm happy to know that someone understands my, albeit, not so funny jokes," Miss Tillman smiled. "And since you're so willing to speak your mind, you can be the spokesperson for corner two." I heard a few people muttering, "Brownnoser" but I didn't let it bother me. I wasn't a brownnoser; I was just extremely blunt and told the truth. Soon Miss Tillman was calling the class to attention again.

"Corner one spokesperson," she said. "Please tell us why you are going to the fall social."

"Because it's going to be awesome," the spokesperson said.

"Not a debatable argument, disqualified," Miss Tillman told him. "Come up with a better answer when I get to you next time. Corner Two?"

"Well, I'm going because my older sister wants me to," I said. "I like dancing and socializing but not as much as reading or doing other things with my time."

"Not as debatable as I'd like but it will do," Miss Tillman said. "Who can debate her points?"

"Just because your sister wants you to go, doesn't mean you have to," someone called out. I realized it was George Wickham.

"Rebuttal?" Miss Tillman asked me.

"If your best friend asked you to go somewhere because they're shy and need you, would you go?"

"Not if I didn't have some other reason to go. Besides, I'm sure your sister can get along just fine without you."

"Or maybe she won't," I countered. "If she needs me, I want to be right there. I think that's a good reason to go somewhere you don't want to go."

"I surrender," Wickham said. "You have countered all my arguments." I got some spattering of applause but most of these people were snotty, rich jerks who don't like it when their "lessers" know how to argue.

"Very well done," Miss Tillman congratulated us both. "Corner three?" The rest of class was spent debating and laughing at Miss Tillman's jokes. Or at least, that's what_ I _was doing. I can't speak for anyone else. When the bell rang, almost everyone was rushing to get out of the room. I took my time but I eventually I had to leave. When I walked out the door, George Wickham was waiting for me.

"Hello," he greeted me with a smile. "I don't think we've been properly introduce. My name is George Wickham, and you are?"

"Elizabeth Bennett," I said, and stuck out my hand, "but you can call me 'Lizzie'."

"Can I escort you to your next class?" he asked.

"Wouldn't that make you late?" I questioned archly.

"It's worth it," he replied charmingly. I laughed.

"Very well," I smiled. "I hope your next class isn't too far away from the Hertfordshire Building."

"All the way across the campus," he exclaimed playfully. "I think I should retract my offer. Mr. Drew would have my head if I was late to choir again. Or worse he would throw the chalk at me with deadly accuracy."

"A choir boy, are you?" I inquired as we walked. "I'm surprised I haven't met you before."

"You're in choir?" he asked.

"Yeah I'm a scholarship student," I answered, trying not to blush.

"Me too," he said proudly. "We should sing together sometime. It's the least I could do for beating you in our little debate."  
"You surrendered!"

"Only because I didn't want to hurt your feelings." He was obviously teasing and it was actually quite refreshing. No one ever had the courage to tease me anymore. I suppose I scared them all away because I teased back.

"A surrender is a loss no matter why you surrendered," I told him.

"So next time, just crush you?" he asked.

"I'd like to see you try," I challenged.

"I accept your challenge, Lizzie," George laughed. "Be prepared for heated debates whenever I see you."

"I look forward to it," I said honestly. "Now go to class, before Mr. Drew throws chalk at your newly severed head."

"Your wish is my command," he smiled. "See you around, Lizzie." He walked down the hall and I walked into the class room.

"Who were you talking to?" Jane asked when I sat down beside her in my normal seat.

"George Wickham," I replied. "We had a wonderful debate in Miss Tillman's class and then he walked me to class."

"That was nice of him," Jane commented. "Is he coming to the dance?"

I shook my head. "No. He was in corner three."

"What?" Jane asked in confusion,

"You'll see when you go to English," I told her.

"Okay," she said. I loved my sister. She was so willing to accept everyone and everything without a second thought. Yeah, I was not like that. I had to argue almost everything just for the sake of argument. Then the teacher called the class to attention and our conversation was over.


	2. Chapter 2

AN: Hey there everybody. Here's the next chapter of this story. Thanks for reading and please review. I'd love to hear from you. P.S. I'm looking for a beta, if anyone is interested. Enjoy the story!

Chapter Two

After school, Jane, Mary, Kitty, Lydia, and I all piled into a Jane's small Ford Tempo. It was tight fit but it was the only car we had. Lydia and Kitty were whispering to each other while Mary sulked in the back. I stifled a sigh. Mary needed to get some more friends. All she took pleasure in was her piano and books. It made her something of a social outcast. Hopefully, she would get better with time.

"Jane, Lizzie," Lydia started, "will you take us the Fall Social with you?"

"No," I said bluntly. "Just because Dad isn't here doesn't mean you can break all of his rules."

"If you don't tell him, he would never know," she grumbled. "You're such a tattle tale, Lizzie."

"There's a difference between tattling and being responsible," I told her. "If I just wanted to get you in trouble I would be a tattle tale but when you intentionally break the rules I'm obligated to tell Dad."

"Whatever," she muttered. I really hated being the adult here. I'd have to complain to Jane about it later. Our house was only a few blocks away from the school so it took only a few minutes to get back home. This was really useful when I had soccer practice and didn't have a ride home. My phone vibrated. It was a text from Charlotte.

_I found out some more about those new kids. Charles and Caroline Bingley are staying with their older sister Mrs. Hurst in the Bingley Hotel._ I smiled.

_Have you been stalking them?_ I asked her. The reply came back quickly.

_Ha ha ha. Very funny Liz. Now shut up while I tell you about the Darcy dude. He's the nephew of Catherine Bourgh, CEO of Bourgh Productions. His parents are dead and he has one sister, who's going to a private school in California. He also inherited half of New York._

_Did you steal his file or are you actually stalking him? _I inquired. _Or both? Before you answer those, isn't he only like seventeen. How's he inherited already?_

_He's eighteen and his sister is only like fourteen. And yes I did steal his file. Your detective skills leave me in awe._

_Sarcasm doesn't suit you._

_Please! Sarcasm is my main form of communication._

_See you tonight, Lottie._ I texted, shaking my head. _I'm almost home and then I have to Skype my dad._

_Ah, yes. Your business meeting. Hey be warned, Collins is coming tonight._

_Thanks for the heads up._

_Anytime Miss Liz, _she replied. I smiled to myself as I walked in to my house. Nicknames are how Charlotte and I told each other we were friends. If I didn't like you, you didn't get a nickname and vice versa. The nicknames were constantly changing but sometimes I just couldn't think of one. Like Jane. What is a good nickname for Jane? At the moment, all I've got is "Janie".

"Mom, we're home!" Lydia shouted. We all shushed her. Our mother was so tired after work, she could barely stand whispering. She rolled her eyes at us but did quiet down. I bit back a nasty remark and walked into my dad's study. The family laptop sat on the desk. Jane and I were the only ones who knew the password and it bothered Lydia and Kitty. Then again, everything bothered them.

I quickly logged on and opened the Skype app. Every day after school, my dad and I would video chat while he was in London. Hopefully he had good news today. Those London business men really didn't want my dad's company to sell the product to the Japanese but they also seemed reluctant to buy the product themselves.

"Lizzie!" my father exclaimed when I opened the app. "How was your day, sweetie?"

"There were rumors of new students," I told him.

"Rich?"

"Very," I replied.

"Don't tell your mother," he joked.

"You'd think she wanted to marry me off with how she carries on," I said.

"Well…"

"_Is _she trying to marry me off?" I asked.

"Not yet," he told me. "She wants Jane to marry right out of high school and then introduce you to rich men."

"Is she crazy?" I exclaimed. "We're still so young. I really want to live my life and then marry."

"Don't worry, Lizzie," Dad said cheerfully, "Men like silly gullible women nowadays. You and Jane will be overlooked."

"Thanks," I said dryly. "Now how's the business deal going?"

"Not well," he replied. "I'll be here for another two to three weeks. How are you doing? I've been getting an earful from your mother about how you aren't cooperating with her matchmaking."

"Well…"

"Glad to hear it," he said. "I need you at home, not out trying to nab a husband."

"I shudder at the thought," I said honestly. I heard a shouting match starting in the kitchen and I gave my father a weary smile.

"Go break up the fight," he smiled. "I'll be here tomorrow. I love you, Lizzie." He kissed his fingers and held it up to the screen. I did the same.

"I love you too, Dad," I told him. "I promise everything's okay here. Goodbye."

"Goodbye," he replied and cut the connection. I sighed but closed the computer and moved to stop the fight in the kitchen.

"Those are my shoes!" Kitty yelled. "You can't have them!"

"They're mine and you know it!" Lydia shouted back. "Besides they don't match with any of your outfits." Jane was trying to calm them down, but they just ignored her quiet protests. They argued for a few more minutes but then I calmly stepped in and took the shoes.

"First of all, these are _my_ shoes," I said. "Second, you two are old enough to know that shouting will just lead to more shouting. So next time you have a problem, try making sure the shoes are actually yours before you start screaming." Jane threw me a grateful glance and I smiled back briefly. Then I turned back to glare at Kitty and Lydia.

"Jane and I have to get ready," I told them. "If you have a problem, go to Mary, _not_ Mom. Got it?" They nodded and mutely walked out of the room.

"Lizzie," Jane started on our way to the dance, "thanks for helping me with Lydia and Kitty. I don't know how you do it." I chuckled slightly.

"You just have to show them who's boss," I said. "Usually it works. You need to be a little louder and a lot meaner to get through to them."

"I'm not a mean person," Jane mumbled.

"I know you aren't," I smiled, "which is why I deal with Lydia and Kitty. It's also why you will get married right out of high school and I will be an old spinster who will teach your nine children how to get on your nerves." This got Jane laughing. Then we arrived. We walked into the gym, which had been decorated with everything autumn.

"What's that guy doing?" Jane whispered and nodded toward the punch bowl. A young man was trying to discretely pour some clear liquid into bowl. I covered my mouth to cover a laugh.

"Jane, don't drink the punch," I told her with a half-smile.

"Okay," she said slightly confused. "Why not?"

"Um…let's just say that clear liquid wasn't water," I snickered.

"You saw it too?" a good looking guy said from behind us. "I was worried I was crazy." He grinned easily at us, ginger hair shining in the low light.

"Not crazy," I disagreed. "Although maybe drunk if you go anywhere near the refreshments." I stuck my hand out and introduced myself. "I'm Elizabeth but my friends call me Lizzie. This is my older sister Jane."

"Charles Bingley," he smiled. "My sister and friend are around here somewhere, but while we're waiting," he turned to Jane, "do you want to dance?" She blushed and looked down. Wow even before he asked about her money. I was beginning to like this guy.

"I'd love to," she murmured shyly. As Charles led her onto the dance floor, I smiled after them.

"Is your diabolic plan working?" Charlotte asked as she walked up to me.

"Perfectly," I grinned. "Within the first two minutes, he got her dancing. He didn't even ask whether she was a scholarship or not."

"Have you met the others yet?" I shook my head.

"Are they even here?" I inquired. She gestured over to one corner of the room. A tall dark guy stood in the shadows with a red headed slender girl.

"They look like they want to be anywhere but here," I commented and Charlotte stifled a snicker. Suddenly the guy looked toward us. Charlotte looked down but I smile mischievously at him. He's not even that intimidating. The song ended and Charles returned with Jane. He motioned for his friend and sister to join us. As they came toward us, Charlotte smiled politely and I hid a smirk behind my hand.

"Everyone this is my sister Caroline," Charles said, "and my best friend, Darcy."

"Does Mr. Darcy have a first name?" I asked archly.

"Not that I'd like anyone to know about," Darcy said gruffly.

I smirked. "Really? I had heard rumors of a Fitzwilliam Darcy coming to Meryton." Jane subtly elbowed me but I just grinned wider when a muscle in his jaw twitched. I really shouldn't take so much enjoyment in other people's discomfort.

"I'm Jane Bennett, this is my sister Lizzie, and our friend Charlotte Lucas," Jane told them, trying to change the subject.

"Are you related to the principal?" Caroline asked. Her voice was shrill and I wanted to wince when I heard it. I could already tell I was going to like Charles more than his sister.

"He's my dad," Charlotte replied. Caroline arched a perfectly shaped and blatantly false eyebrow. I swear she must have penciled the heck out that thing. What ginger has black eyebrows?

"That's interesting," Caroline said and turned to me. "And you? Are you a scholarship student or do you enjoy dressing in rags?" I felt an angry blush rush to my cheeks.

"Yes I am a scholarship student," I told her proudly. "Jane and I both are: Jane for her ballet and me for my singing. Is that a problem?" Caroline didn't say anything. She just pursed her lips and engaged Jane in conversation, obviously, deeming Charlotte and me beneath her notice. I shook my head at her vanity.

"Are you enjoying the dance?" I asked Charles who was looking mournfully at Jane. My goodness, the boy was already trapped.

"It's very entertaining," he answered. "It'd be better if I was dancing. Would you like to dance, Lizzie?" I smiled and nodded. The perfect moment to hint at Jane's single status and push him in her direction. So I'm something a matchmaker. Don't judge! It's in the genetics. Charles and I had a nice long talk about Jane and her ballet. I think he realized I approved of him and was eager to pump me for information. I was only too happy to oblige.

After that song, he escorted me back to my friends, like a true gentlemen. Then he asked Jane to dance. Charlotte and I exchanged a glance and a grin. This was going better than I hoped.

"What about you Darcy?" I asked. "Are you enjoying yourself?"

"No," he replied bluntly. "I don't like to dance. Or small towns."

"You call this small?" I inquired.

"Comparatively to where I usually live," he answered and turned away. I muttered some unladylike things under my breath. Then Charlotte abandoned me when Jeffery Hansen asked her to dance. I pushed away my irritation and waved at her as she happily followed him.

"Hello Lizzie," a horrible voice said from behind me. I stifled a groan.

"Hey Collins," I greeted him, unenthused. Why couldn't he just leave me alone? One date! My mom set us up on one date and now he follows me around like a lost puppy.

"Call me Bill," he grinned at me, making my skin crawl. "Would you like to dance?" I had a harder time stifling a groan this time. My sense of politeness and duty made me answer "yes" through gritted teeth. He smiled his sickly smile again and I shuddered when he put his hand on my waist. He tried to engage me in conversation but I mutely stared over his shoulder. I ignored his gabber about some video game. How was this guy a senior? He had the intellect and hygiene of a twelve year old. The song finally ended and I couldn't get away fast enough.

When I got back to where I had left my friends, I noticed they were all gone. Except Fitzwilliam Darcy. I took a detour in the other direction where I could still see the spot where my friends gather but far enough away I didn't have engage in the conversation with the guy. Suddenly, Charles showed up without Jane. I scanned the crowd and found her dancing with Charlotte in the middle of the floor. Actually it was more jumping than actual dancing. I shook my head and started to walk over to them.

"Come on Darce," Charles said. "You look stupid, glowering in the corner. If you're not careful, the girls will think you're a vampire and then they'll never leave you alone.

"They don't leave me alone anyways. Besides, I don't want to dance, Charles," Darcy said.

"We'll be here for the rest of the school year, or at least I will be, and you need to make friends," Charles said sternly. Good for you, Charlie.

Darcy snorted. "Right. That'll out me in a better mood. Your new…friend is the only pretty girl in the room."

"Isn't she beautiful?" Charles practically sighed. Lizzie's plan equals success. "But her sister, Lizzie, is really pretty too. And smart. Just your type."

"Really Charles?" Darcy said incredulously and shook his head. "Her? Why would I want to dance with a girl no one else wants to ask? Go back to your friend and let me sulk in peace." Charles made a sound of frustration and walked back over to Jane. As he walked away, I imagined beating the snot out of Darcy. Of all the pompous, arrogant, self-centered, chauvinistic…Gah! Who did this guy think he was? I don't care who his aunt is, it doesn't mean he's above the rest of us. I growled under my breath and stalked away. Sure it was obvious I wasn't as pretty as Jane with her blond hair and green eyes but I wasn't ugly either. As I thought about it further, I started laughing. It was simply ridiculous. He was just an arrogant jerk who obviously didn't want to be here. As long as he left me alone I was okay with him being as cold and aloof as he wanted to be.

As it turns out, I was standing right next to the spiked punch bowl. Darcy moved toward the bowl and grabbed a cup to fill it up. I fought the urge to _not_ inform him just how spiked it was.

"I wouldn't drink that if I were you," I warned, duty rising above revenge. He raised a dark eyebrow in question. "It's spiked," I explained. "I've seen five different people pour stuff into it. If you want to be stone, cold drunk in a matter of minutes, by all means, drink up." Then it was my turn to walk away. I have to admit it felt pretty good.


	3. Chapter 3

AN: Hey there. Thanks so much for the reviews and if you guys want me to reply, login so I can. Enjoy this next chapter and feel free to give me feedback. Also forgive a few of my mistakes. My computer's a little wacked out right now.

Chapter Three

The night went pretty well. I avoided Darcy and hung out with Charlotte. We rated every guy that passed us on the hot scale. It was fun when some of the guys (most likely scholarships) realized what we were doing and started to pose. One even came up to us during the dance mix of "Call Me Maybe" by Carly Rae Jepson and gave us his number with a wink. I blushed slightly as Charlotte called out "Thanks!"

"His rating went up to an eight," she told me with a giggle. I rolled my eyes and nodded toward the punch bowl.

"How many people drank out of that and got plastered unknowingly?" I said.

"A better question is how many people drank out of that and intentionally got plastered?" Charlotte grinned teasingly. "Now back to ratings. That one over there I the corner," she motioned toward a baby faced freshman, "what a seven on the freshman scale?"

"Six," I muttered. "He looks like a seven year old."

"I guess," she said and eyed me slightly. "What about that one over there?" She gestured to Fitzwilliam Darcy. I snorted and recounted to her what I had overheard.

"So a zero on the hot scale and a ten on the jerk scale," I concluded.

Charlotte shook her head. "No. He's still at least a nine on the hot scale and an eleven on the jerk scale."

"Why are all the hottest guys the jerkiest?" I complained. "I feel like the goofy guys are almost always the sweetest."

"Well that's a given," a familiar voice said from behind us. We turned to see John Lucas, Charlotte's older brother, standing behind us. "That's all they've got going for them," he continued with a smirk. "Unless, of course, they're rich."

"Is that all you think girls look for?" I raised an eyebrow playfully at him. "Looks and money?"

"Well Mama always said," he drawled, causing us to laugh, "girls only look for three things in guys; if they're hot, rich, or gentlemanly."

"Run, Johnny, run," I mockingly shouted. "Before I kick your butt."

"You've got to let me finish the story, Lizzie," he scolded teasingly. "After she said that, my mom stared me straight in the face and said, 'Johnny you ain't that hot. You ain't that rich so you better be a perfect gentleman.'" I doubled over laughing.

"The sad thing is," Charlotte gasped between burst of laughter, "it's all completely true. I heard her tell him that." This just made me laugh harder.

"I did argue the hot point though," John admitted with a smile. "I am most definitely an eleven on the hot scale."

"In what universe?" Charlotte said and glanced over at me. "Lizzie, you're lucky Johnny here is a certified life guard. He could give you mouth to mouth if you ever stop breathing.

"I think I need to sit down," I gasped.

John smiled. "There's an entire gym floor. Sit down."

"Shut up," I said.

"What's up guys?" Jane asked coming up to us. Charles Bingley was trailing after her and I could barely contain a self-satisfied grinned.

"We were just discussing my hotness on the hot scale," John said nonchalantly. Charles and Jane laughed, drawing Darcy and his carrot top with him. I resisted the urge to walk away.

"What do you got there, Lizzie?" Jane asked and reached for the paper in my hand. I couldn't stop her in time. She read the name and raised an eyebrow at me. "Neil Alderson?"

"Um, he came up during 'Call Me Maybe' and gave his number to Charlotte and me," I told her, blushing. There was a pause then everyone except Darcy and Caroline burst into laughter. "It isn't funny!" I protested but my mouth began to quirk up into a little smile.

"He's like the biggest poetry nerd I know," John told me, after he had stopped laughing.

"Ugh," I groaned. "Just what I need: a romantic fool who uses poetry to kill any inclination of affection."

"I thought poetry was the food of love," Darcy commented with a furrowed brow. I shrugged.

"If it's a strong, returned love then it most definitely is," I conceded, "but if it's just a crush…" I let it trail off. It was a pretty self-explanatory sentence.

"Go on," Darcy urged and I stifled the irritated huff that was trying to break free.

"If it's just a crush," I repeated, "one stupid or pointless verse would scare any self-respecting girl off."

"Then what would you want as a romantic token?" Darcy inquired.

"Lavish gifts that are totally impersonal and can be given by anyone," I replied cheerfully and stifled a smirk at his expression. "Just kidding. I've always been a big fan of love letters."

"What's the difference between that and poetry?" Darcy exclaimed.

I sighed. "Any fool can copy a cheesy poem off the internet. A love letter is just more personal. Who would want their lies immortalized on paper? No, love letters are my favorite. Emails are just too easy. I'd like to see someone's hand writing and read what they wrote just then at that moment." Darcy didn't say anything but walked off slowly with Caroline following closing behind him. Lizzie-2 Darcy-1. Not the best score but I planned on making it much better in the future.

"Lizzie," Jane whispered to me while Charles danced with Charlotte, "what was that about?"

"I have absolutely no idea, Jane," I replied. "What I do know is that Charles Bingley seems to have found something to keep him occupied." I smiled mischievously at her and she gently bumped my shoulder. The song ended and Charles eagerly walked back over to us.

"I'll tell you more at home," Jane murmured to me.

"You better," I muttered through a smile. It was the last slow song and Charles was taking Jane out onto the floor. I smiled to myself. Ah the glory of a plan gone right.

"Let's dance, pest," John said with a smile.

"Johnny, I'll be the talk of the school if I dance with a sophomore," I told him teasingly.

"That's just because I'm in college, Liz," he smiled and grabbed my hand. "All of them will be extremely jealous." I rolled my eyes and snorted.

"Like anyone actually notices me in this place," I said as we swayed in a circle.

"Darcy seemed to be interested," John smiled.

"Shut up and dance, Johnny," I replied. John's major was going to Physics but he was an accomplished ballroom dancer. He'd taught Charlotte, Jane and I a few moves back before he was an all-important college guy.

"It's a waltz," he said, cocking his head to one side. "Do you remember the steps?"

I nodded. "Just don't laugh when I step on your feet." He gave me a brotherly smile and began to lead me in the steps. It'd been a long time but I soon caught on. Except when he added twirls and dips. Those had me stumbling and trying to regain my balance. I laughed and shook it off.

"New kid is staring," John whispered in my ear. "No don't look," he ordered when I moved to do just that.

"I feel like this is the beginning of a stalker relationship," I said lightly. Johnny smiled. The song ended and so did the dance. It was late at night and I really wanted to get home. I tried to find Jane but she was lost somewhere in the crowd. Growling under my breath, I stalked out to the car. Luckily it was a warm night even though it was September in New York. I stopped short when I saw Charles and Jane already by the car. He was handing her a piece of paper. I quickly hurried to hide. I would not ruin this moment.

"What is he thinking?" a shrill voice broke through the night air. "She's a scholarship student."

"You know how easily he falls in and out of love," a deeper, more irritating voice replied. "He'll be over it in a week."

"Her sister was perfectly horrible," Caroline, who it obviously was, said and I stifled a laugh. What would they say if they knew I was right here? "How that creature even got a scholarship here is beyond me." so I was a creature now? I fought the urge to tell her that at least I got in on my talent and not my daddy's money.

"I'm sure she's a very good singer, Caro," her companion, obviously Darcy, said. "We'll find out eventually. All the…creatively minded seniors put on a show at the end of the year."

"How do you know so much about this place?" Caroline asked. I could hear the disdain in her voice. "It's so dingy compared to the California school we were at."

"My father donated that building right over there," Darcy replied. I was getting tired of this conversation so I glanced to see if Jane and Charles were done yet. When I looked, Charles lifted Jane's hand, kissed it with a smile, and walked away. It was the most adorable thing ever! Once he was safely gone, I strode out from my hiding place, deeply satisfied with the girlish gasp I heard. Point Lizzie.

"How was your conversation?" I asked Jane with a smile

"I should have known you were listening," she blushed.

"Actually I was too busy listening to Caroline Bingley and Fitzwilliam Darcy bad mouth me," I said lightly and took the keys from her hands. She let me slid into the driver seat without any protest. All the way home we talked about Charles and Darcy and Collins and John but mostly Charles. Whenever she said his name her eyes lit up.

"He gave me his number, Lizzie," she whispered when we were almost home.

"That's great Jane," I told her honestly and gave her a one armed hug. All while driving. I'm just that talented.

"I don't what to do with it," she admitted.

"Don't know…" I repeated. "Jane you immediately put that boy's number in your phone and on your memory card so you'll never lose it. Then you text him. Not tonight but tomorrow and pretend to welcome him to school."

"I wouldn't be pretending," she murmured and fiddled with the piece of paper in her hand.

"I know, Jane," I smiled. "But is that really why you want to text him? To welcome him to school?"

"No," she said. "Lizzie, he's so nice. He may be rich but he has a job at the hotel and he's really sensitive. He listens to me about my ballet and he skis."

"He skis," I repeated with a gasp. "Well you've officially found him. He's your soul mate."

"You _try_ to make me angry, don't you?" she asked with a smile as we pulled into our driveway. "I'm just glad he's not blonde. If he was, you'd always tell him the cheesy blonde jokes." We walked up the drive and quietly opened to door.

"I have nothing against blondes," I said, going toward my room. "Some blondes are pretty smart, like my wonderful sister. The really stupid ones are the ones who dye their hair blonde. I feel like there's a better way to let your true colors shine through." Jane laughed softly and sat on my bed.

"What about you, Lizzie?" she asked. "When will you get yourself a man?"

"Whenever the right one shows up," I announced. "I will not settle for anything less than love. Now shoo. I have to wake up early tomorrow."

"Goodnight, Lizzie" Jane laughed.

"Goodnight, Jane," I said. "In place of Dad, I will inform you of the no texting after ten o'clock rule."

"Since when do you follow that rule?" Jane asked.

"Did I say enforce?" I countered. "I said inform. Do what you like but I can now have a clear conscience."

"Whatever," Jane rolled her eyes and danced lightly out of the room. Smiling, I pulled on my pajamas. I was asleep before my head hit the pillow.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

The next morning, I woke up at four a.m. so I could drive to L.A. for my voice lessons. It was a pain in the butt but it was worth it. Helen Matlock was the best voice teacher on the east coast. She was the only reason I got into Meryton. I arrived at her apartment at 6:30 and she happily opened the door for me.

"Lizzie, dear, it's so good to see you!" she exclaimed. "How's school going?"

"It's great," I answered with a smile. "Mr. Drew has me singing an Italian solo for festival this year."

"Mr. Drew has always loved his foreign languages," she laughed. "Why don't you sing it for me?"

"Is Jenny here? I asked. Jenny Albert was my accompanist whenever I had a recital. She had graduated from Meryton last year and had gotten into the best music college in the state.

"Yep," Helen replied. "Has she been working on the piece with you?"

"I can play the piano, Helen," I told her. "My sister Mary is pretty good too."

"I'd like to introduce you to some people in the music business soon, Lizzie," Helen said, ignoring my comments. "I've heard you some of the things you've written. You really have a chance to make it."

"Are you serious?" I asked. "Like actual music producers?"

"Yes actual producers," she smiled. "I've told them about you and they're interested."

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" I exclaimed and hugged her. This is what I've always wanted. She laughed and hugged my back.

"Come on," she said. "Let's go sing some Italian." The entire rehearsal, I was so excited I practically bouncing. Jenny noticed and threw me an inquisitive glance. I just grinned like an idiot.

"Thanks again, Helen," I said as I headed to the door.

"Anytime Lizzie," she said. "You tell Mr. Drew about what I said and then tell me what he says."

"Of course," I told her. "If he has a heart attack, I'll tell the police it was your fault."

"There's that sense of humor," Helen laughed. "Until next week then. Bye Lizzie."

"Bye," I said. I got outside and jumped up and down a little bit. I was meeting with producers! I had saved enough money from my job to pay for a studio session for a demo. This was it! I immediately called Charlotte when I got into my car.

"Oh my gosh!" I screamed. "I'm meeting with music producers!"

"No way!" she shouted. "That's awesome! When?"

"I don't know yet," I told her and started driving. So it was only a little illegal but it was for a worthy cause.

"This is great," charlotte exclaimed. "Just don't forget the little people."

"You're not a little person," I assured her. "Carly right?"

"Very funny," she said dryly. "Oh, John's home. Got to go. Talk to you Monday?"

"You know it," I answered and she hung up. I did the same and cranked up the radio. I sang along with Taylor Swift and dreamt of the day when some other hopeful girl would sing along with me.

"Jane, guess what!" I shouted when I got home. It was a Saturday so there was no need to be quiet. My mother had slept off her work hangover and was busy telling Mary to stop her "maniac pounding that didn't even sound like music". She really wasn't that bad but it got old fast.

"What?" Jane asked with a worried glance into the music room. I told her the news and we both squealed a little bit.

"What was that about music producers?" my mother asked. Her eyes were tired and her hair was already gray. Probably due to the fact she had five teenage daughters. I repeated my news and she smiled enthusiastically at me.

"That's great Lizzie," she told me. "Perhaps you'll meet a handsome, rich rock star."

"Mom!" I groaned. "How many times do I have to tell you that I don't want a rich boyfriend?"

"Of course you do, sweetheart," she said. "This is an excellent opportunity to do just that." I swear my mother is more boy crazy than Lydia. Actually I don't think that's even possible.

"Lizzie," Jane said, once our mom was gone. "I texted Charles."

"Really?" I asked. "What he'd say?"

"What'd who say?" Lydia asked from the doorway.

"No one," I replied. "Come on, Jane. Let's go to my room."

"Don't leave me out!" Lydia shouted. "Come on, just tell me."

"Go annoy Kitty," I snapped and pulled Jane with me. Once we were safely in my room, I locked my door.

"Tell me everything," I ordered.

"Well, I started by telling him who was texting him," Jane said. "Then we started talking. He rides horses and skis and swims."

"Wow," I said. "He's sounds like a cool kid."

"He is," she gushed and then looked down. She mumbled something I couldn't hear.

"What was that?" I asked.

"I invited him, Caroline, and Darcy to sit with us tomorrow," she told me.

"That's fine," I said. "I can see if he passes the sister test."

"Don't scare him, Lizzie," she ordered.

I smirked. "If he's the One, he'll have to be stalwart enough to handle me and my teasing."

"Lizzie!" she exclaimed in exasperation but she was smiling.

"Yes?" I asked innocently. She rolled her eyes and stood up.

"Don't you need to practice?" she inquired. "You have to perform for big L.A. producers."

"No pressure or anything," I muttered. "You're right. Go make sure Kitty and Lydia haven't destroyed the house. I'm going get out my guitar." She did as she was ordered and I got out my baby. I tuned it and started strumming one of my songs. After a brief introduction, I started to sing.

_*I've been dreaming._

_ I've been wishing _

_For my very own _

_Fairytale._

_So tell me…_

_Are you my prince_

_Are you the one_

_Who'll sweep me_

_Into happy ever after._

_Are you my Knight _

_In shining armor_

_Or are you just_

_My fool?_

I played the last few chords and started into a new song. Soon it was time to go the Lucas' for dinner. Every couple of weeks we would do this because our families had been friends for so long. Of course, I was in for a big surprise. When we got there, I noticed there were two more cars than normal. Who else had they invited to dinner? I had forgotten that Mr. Lucas always invited new students and their families to a dinner so they could get to know the principal. That meant…

"Jane!" Charles exclaimed when we walked in. A young couple greeted us politely and I deduced these must be the Hursts. Caroline was throwing herself at Darcy while he looked uncomfortable with her attention.

"Hello," Jane said demurely. Charles immediately started talking a mile a minute while Jane smiled shyly at him. I noticed my mother motioning to me.

"What?" I asked as I walked over.

"Is that Charles Bingley Jr.?" she hissed as if it was some big secret. "The billionaire's son?"

"Yes," I answered warily.

"He certainly likes Jane," Mrs. Lucas said. I shot her a "don't encourage my mother" look which she ignored. Charlotte's mother had never liked me much which was just fine because I didn't really like her either. She reminded too much of my own demanding, occasionally petty mother. Apparently I was a "bad influence on sweet, innocent Charlotte." Please. Charlotte was the instigator of almost everything or at least a willing and active participant.

"Really?" my mother exclaimed loudly. "Wouldn't it be nice if they got married?" I closed my eyes and took a fortifying breath. Pleasant conversation between a single guy and girl suddenly leads to marriage. That makes _perfect_ sense. Lydia's screech pulled me from my thoughts. She and Kitty were laughing loudly as some of the younger Lucas boys chased them through the house. I scoffed under my breath. Freshman.

"Martin, give my phone back," Lydia ordered and I resisted the urge to hit my head against something hard.

"You okay, Lizzie?" Charlotte asked.

"My family is an embarrassment," I muttered. "If it was just us, I wouldn't care but I really want Charles to like Jane."

"He doesn't even notice," Charlotte assured me. "He's too busy talking Jane's ear off. She's looks happy."

"I'm so excited for her," I told Charlotte. "This is the first time she's really like someone. I think she's half in love with her already."

"And Charles?" Charlotte asked. "Is he falling for her?"

"I think that he likes her a lot," I replied hesitantly.

"Then she should definitely let him know exactly how he feels," Charlotte said. "If she wants to keep him, she needs to show him exactly what she's feeling. Maybe even more."

"Jane's not like that," I said. "She's shy and if he doesn't like her for herself, then he's not the right guy for her."

"What about his friend? He seems to look at you a lot." Charlotte gestured to the corner where Darcy was standing. He was indeed staring at me.

I snorted. "Please. He only looks at me to find a weakness he can make fun of."

"Good thing because I'm going to make you sing for us," Charlotte smiled. "Let's see him try to make fun of you for that."

"It's not that hard to do," I said. "I really don't want to sing."

"That stinks," Charlotte said and dragged me to the piano. "Don't sing one of your originals. People will ask for the sheet music and I won't be able to give it to them."

"What do you expect me to sing then?" I asked.

"The _Titanic_ theme," she smirked. I rolled my eyes but sat down at the piano.

"Is Lizzie going to sing?" Mr. Lucas asked. "How wonderful." I smiled to myself and started to play the song. Luckily, Charlotte had the sheet music and I was pretty proficient at playing the piano. Not as much so as Mary because I didn't practice as much as I should. I looked up to see Darcy staring intently into my eyes. My fingers faltered slightly but I covered it well. _Don't think about it, Lizzie, _I ordered myself. _He's just a jerk. An arrogant, rude, aloof, handsome…_ I stopped myself. This was getting out of hand.

Finally, I just closed my eyes, lost myself in the music, and forgot everything else. I was definitely not Celine Dion but I didn't have a scholarship for nothing. When I finished, people gave different degrees of applause. Charlotte, Jane, Charles, and Mr. Lucas clapped enthusiastically while Mom, Mrs. Lucas, and the Hursts clapped somewhat distractedly, like they really didn't listen. Caroline, Darcy, and my younger sisters didn't clap at all. Mary was anxious to take my place and I gratefully let her.

A few hours later, we were back at home and preparing to go to sleep. I had just put on my pajamas when Jane knocked on my door and walked in.

"Hey," I said and patted the bed. "Come gossip with me." She smiled and joined me on the bed. "So how's Charles?" she promptly gushed all about her new beau. It made me happy to see her happy. If Jane was content and happy, so was I.

*These lyrics are written by me and kinda sorta stink, so don't judge me too harshly.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

Sunday passed without anything exciting happening. My dad and I talked about my ridiculous family and Jane-for some reason, Jane and I were always left out of the ridiculous family-and his return. It was scheduled for the following Friday. I told him about Darcy and Caroline's arrogance and Charles' kindness. We laughed together and then said goodnight. Then it was Monday. Jane was practically skipping around the house. I laughed when she started humming. She only hummed when she was extremely excited. I insisted on driving us to school so she wouldn't get us in a wreck. She bounced slightly in her seat and I bit back a smile.

"Jane looks excited," Charlotte said as I put some books away in my locker. I glanced over to Jane and Charles. Maybe love at first sight wasn't completely bogus.

"_I'm_ excited for her," I told Charlotte. "Just so long as they don't kiss in from of me." I made a face and Charlotte laughed. She glanced behind her and turned back to me with a smirk.

"Darcy is staring at you," she whispered. I looked over and sure enough, Darcy's dark gaze was on me. He had a pronounced scowl on his face and I fought the urge to pull on my baggy sweatshirt. I wasn't that bad looking. His critical gaze reminded me of a memory I had tried hard to repress. I could feel the old depression rise up inside me but I quickly smothered. Some egotistical idiot was not going to kill my new found confidence. I lifted my chin and stared back. He looked away first and I added another tally to the imaginary scoreboard.

"I need to go to the library," I told Charlotte. "Want to come?"

She shook her head. "I'm going to try and find Andrew Wilkins. We had some interesting conversations over the weekend."

"The trumpet player?" I asked.

"You know what they say," she smiled, "trumpet players make the best kissers."

"Who says that?" I inquired in amusement.

She shrugged. "I don't know but I plan on finding out whether it's true or not. See you, Liz." With a wink, she went off in search of her new prey. The poor boy. I shook my head and headed down to the library on my own. The librarian greeted me happily. We had become good friends since I first started coming down there in ninth grade. I think I was the main reason she ever ordered new books. It's not like any of the privileged kids came down there. I skimmed the shelves, looking for something I had never read before. That would actually be a great accomplishment. I picked up a book with an intriguing cover but after reading the summary, I immediately put it back down. Too much romance, not enough intelligent plot lines.

"I suggest anything that is not in the teen romance section," a voice said. I turned to see George Wickham standing behind me.

I smiled up at him. "I agree. Please point me in the right direction."

"I'm almost positive you know this place better than I do," he replied but proceeded to point out books. "This one?"

"Read it," I answered with a grin. We got about half through the library before he pointed to a book I hadn't read.

"You haven't," he asked. I shook my head. "Ha! I call this a victory. Read it and then give me a review. I have read it either." We then got into a lively discussion on the books we've read. When the bell rang, he offered to walk me to my next class.

"People will start to talk if this keeps up," I said playfully.

"Let them talk," he grinned. "Come on." He dropped me off at my science class and then headed to his own class. When I walked in to the lab, Caroline Bingley confronted me.

"Was that George Wickham?" she demanded.

"Um, yeah," I answered and moved to go around her.

"You shouldn't hang out with him," she warned. "He's a bad guy."

"How do you even know him?" I inquired, trying to swallow my frustration.

"I don't know him personally," she said, "but he did something to Darcy's family. You had to do something utterly horrible to get Darcy that mad."

"So your opinion is based on Darcy's?" I said. "Figures."

"What was that?" she asked.

"Nothing," I smiled at her. "Now if you excuse me."

I made my way out of the doorway and actually into the classroom. I moved toward my seat but stopped cold. Darcy was already sitting in the seat next to mine. I had forgotten there was an empty seat next to me. Well there used to be.

"Hello, Elizabeth," he greeted her as I sat down in my seat.

"Hi, Fitzwilliam," I replied looking pointedly at my notebook.

"Um, well, it looks like we're lab partners," he tried again to start a conversation.

"Yeah I guess." Darcy finally gave up. His leg kept brushing mine causing me to flinch and move farther away. By the end of the class period, I was halfway in the aisle and fully uncomfortable. When the bell rang, I all but ran for the door.

"What's your next class?" Darcy's voice stopped me.

"Calculus," I answered without thinking. I blushed and hurried over to Charlotte before he could interrogate me again.

"Lizzie, Darcy keeps staring at you," Charlotte informed me.

"Only in contempt," I replied, fighting to keep my eyes on the floor.

"Lizzie," Charlotte said, "you need to open your eyes." I just shook her head and walked into Calculus. I was past caring if Darcy was in any of my classes but that didn't mean I didn't avoid his gaze when he was in any of my classes. In math it was no different. I had told Charlotte that Darcy only looked at me in contempt which was true but why? Why did he stare at me? I pondered this until the bell rang. When it did, I was deeply aware of Darcy's eyes because I jumped about a foot in the air. Practically sprinting from the room, I went to my last class before lunch but it turned out he was there too. Gosh darn it! What next? Will he be in my English class? I should have realized that Karma hated me.

"Lizzie, are you okay?" Jane asked when I sat by her at our lunch table. My response was to glower at no one in particular.

"Let me guess," Charlotte said, coming up to us, "the handsome Darcy has done something else to offend our Lizzie?"

"I don't enjoy being glared at through all my classes," I told them.

"What you call a glare," Charlotte grinned, "I call gaze in awe."

"Shut up," I said and nudged her shoulder.

"Speak of the devil," she muttered and dutifully turned to her lunch. I glanced back and unfortunately caught Darcy's eye. His friend was too busy with Jane's smile to draw Darcy's attention away and Caroline was too busy simpering on his arm to pay any attention to me. Darcy's dark gaze had me captured. I forced myself to look away and focus on my book. The words blurred on the page as I remembered the last time I'd let this happen. Well it wouldn't happen again! I squared my shoulders and paid more attention to my book. Tom Sawyer's an idiot. The thought put a small smile on my face. I pondered other ridiculous things I'd either read or heard.

"_Really Charles? Her?"_

As I remembered his words, a stifled laughed escaped. I got quite a few strange looks from my table buddies/enemies. Their glances just made me laugh harder. I was soon out of breath and wiping my eyes.

"Do you want to share the joke with us, Lizzie?" Charles asked with a twinkle in his dark green eyes.

"I'm afraid I can't do that," I told him. "It's more because of how I got there than what it was. You wouldn't think it was funny."

"How did you start?" Charlotte asked, already well versed in my strange speeches and thought patterns.

"Tom Sawyer," I answered with a small smile. "Then it graduated to all things ridiculous."

"That's not even a good one," Charlotte scoffed and proceeded to tell everyone about some of my other thought patterns. Everyone's favorite everyone meaning Jane, Charles, and Charlotte was my murder place theory.

"You tell it, Lizzie," Charlotte gasped. "I can't do it right." I rolled my eyes but proceeded.

"So we went to a local gym for P.E.," I started. "Jane and I worked hard and we were exhausted when we got the bus to go back to school. We didn't talk and when I don't have conversation or a book, my mind wanders. I admit that I didn't smell very good so I was thinking about showering. That led me to think about the showers at the school which are just like a horror movie. So then I started thinking about murder."

"Do you think of murder often?" Darcy asked suddenly.

"Definitely," I said cheerfully. "What else are you going to be thinking about on a bus after working your butt off? As I was saying, I thought about murder. I have this long-standing theory that one day a body will be dumped in Hollister."

"Why?" Caroline cut in. I stifled an aggravated sigh.

"It's dark, they play loud music, and spray their perfume every fifteen minutes," I listed. "No one would see or smell the body. And if they were murdered in the store, the music's so loud you'd never hear anything."

"Sounds like you've given this a lot of thought," Charles grinned and tried to subtly play with Jane's fingers. Her blush totally gave it away. I beamed at them.

"The point of this story was that she got from smelling bad to murder in Hollister in three seconds," Charlotte and shot me a glance, a silent question in her eyes. I nodded and she beamed as well.

"Hey, Lizzie," George Wickham called from across the lunch room. I raised my hand in greeting and motioned him over to us. He started to do just that but then he saw Darcy. I saw a flash of fear in his eyes. He nodded to me and walked away. I glanced at Darcy and saw that he's jaw was clenched. His eyes were full of hatred. My curiosity was peaked so I delivered a hasty good bye to my friends and followed after George.

"What was that all about?" I demanded.

"How long has Darcy been here?" was his only reply.

"Since Friday," I answered. "Do you know him?"

"We grew up together," George told me and blew out a sigh. "My mom was his nanny."

"Is that how you greet all your childhood friends?" I asked, raising my eyebrow.

He smiled slightly. "You noticed that did you? Darcy is really the only childhood friend I have but we aren't really on speaking terms at the moment."

"Why is that?" I prodded.

"Curiosity killed that cast," he smiled.

"And satisfaction brought it back," I countered and he laughed.

"I enjoy bantering with you," he said. "You won't give up until I tell you will you?" I shook my head, lips twitching upwards. He sighed. "Come to the library with me?"

"Let's go," I said. We sat down at a secluded table in the back corner of the room. I waited while George tried to put his thoughts together.

"Last summer, I went to the coast on vacation," he started. "Darcy and his little sister, Georgiana, were there as well. Darcy and I hadn't been on good terms before that because he had fired my mom and left us without any money."

"Why did he fire your mom?" I inquired.

"He was jealous," he said matter-of-factly. "I was more of a son to the late Mr. Darcy than Darcy ever was. Darcy knew this and the minute his dad was gone, he got rid of my mother and put us on the streets."

"What a jerk!" I exclaimed. "How come I feel like there's more to this story?"

"Because there is," George said, lips slightly upturned. "As I was saying, I was on the coast. Well we met and Darcy went to take care of the all-important family business. Georgie and I started talking and hanging out. We fell in love. Darcy couldn't handle it. He told me never to come near them again and convinced Georgiana to tell me to get lost."

"That's…" I started. "I have absolutely no words to describe what I'm feeling."

"So there's my story," George said, brightening a little. "What about you, Lizzie? What is a nice girl like you doing in a school full of rich jerks?" I sighed.

"Dreams," I answered. "My voice teacher is friends with Mr. Drew and got me a scholarship here. I'm actually meeting with some producers in the near future."

"That's great!" he exclaimed and I laughed.

"I feel that's all people say when I tell them that," I smiled. The bell rang and I glanced up at George.

"Where are you off to?" he asked. "I know it's not English or history because you have those later today."

"Choir," I answered. "I have to go tell Mr. Drew the good news."

"Good luck with that," George smiled. "I'll see you in English?"

"Count on it," I replied with a smile and head toward the choir room. Mr. Drew was excited with the news but luckily he didn't have a heart attack. He spent the rest of the time smirking at me and I shook my head. Mr. Drew was such a tease. Then I headed off to English. My happiness quickly reverted to annoyance when I say Darcy walk into the classroom. I put on my brave face and walked proudly into the classroom, chin held high. Miss Tillman raised an eyebrow at me but I just smiled at sat next to George.

"Welcome to the scholarship corner," he greeted me. "Population _dos_."

"Is that the closest you get to Spanish or can you actually speak the language?" I inquired with a laugh.

"I can say hello, goodbye, and 'where's the rest room," he replied smiling.

"What a pity," I said. "I've always wanted to speak a different language with someone."

"What languages do you speak, Lizzie?" he asked. "No wait. Let me guess. Spanish, French, and German?"

I laughed. "Although I have sung all of those, I speak Spanish, Italian, and French. My father insisted that I be able to talk to anyone and everyone where ever I go and those languages seem to be the most common."

"Why would you need to speak so many different languages as a child?"

"I was an Army brat," I replied. "My father retired from service when I was twelve and we moved here. At the moment, he's running his own company which leads him to travel much more than I like but occasionally I get to go with him."

"When you aren't travelling the world, what do you use your languages for?" George asked.

"Well, when I'm angry I revert to Italian," I told him. "Occasionally people can understand what I'm muttering at them but they comment in the same language so no one else really gets it."

"So when you start spouting Italian at me, back off?" He smiled at me.

"Definitely," I said. "And when I become polite. I'm only polite when I don't like you. If I'm teasing you, then you know you're in my good graces." Just then Miss Tillman called the class to attention and our conversation was cut short.

AN: Tell me what you think! I love hearing from everybody. Thanks for staying along for the ride this long.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

"Lizzie, Bill Collins just called," my mother told me excitedly when I got home. "He asked if he could take you to dinner next Friday. I told him that you'd be happy to."

"But Dad's coming home next Friday," I protested. She waved her hand.

"He won't actually be back," she said. "I've already set it up. Bill will be here Friday at seven."

"Mom, I don't want to go on a date with him," I said angrily. "You can't just set me up on a date with people."

"I'm your mother," she replied as if that made it okay. I tried to push down my fury but it was too strong.

"I'm going on a run," I spat at her. I grabbed a pair of shorts and a t-shirt and stormed to the bathroom. For good measure, I slammed the door and cranked up my music so loud I couldn't hear myself think. I quickly threw on my running clothes and swept my hair up into a high ponytail. As I left the bathroom, I conveniently "forgot" to turn off my blaring music.

"Lizzie, what's wrong?" Jane asked in concern as I opened the front door.

"I'll tell you about it later," I told her and slammed the front door. There was a park not too far away from my house that I did most of my running in. It wasn't very crowded even in the middle of the day, so I should be left alone. As I ran, I let the rhythm of my feet pounding on the pavement push all other thought my mind. This park was beautiful and I loved the green. I had been coming here since I was old enough to ride a bike on my own. It was my sanctuary. There was a little grove that I had discovered when I was ten that served as my refuge. No one else knew it was there. I hadn't even shown Jane.

After a short sprint, that's where I turned my footsteps. The minute I got into the trees, I let the tears fall. I wasn't all that angry about going on a date with Collins but my mother had scheduled this stupid thing the night my dad was supposed to come home. I hadn't seen him face to face for three months. Three months! Even if he didn't get home, I wanted to be at home waiting just in case. Why couldn't she just leave well enough alone! She always had to be in everyone else's business. A twig snapped and I quickly wiped my eyes.

"Oh," a deep voice exclaimed. I turned and stared at Fitzwilliam Darcy. We stood there for a while just staring at each other. He was wearing basketball shorts and a tight fitting black t-shirt that hugged the muscles on his arms. How could he look so perfect!

"Um…" he started. "I didn't know anyone else knew about this place." He peered more closely at me. "Have you been crying?"

"No," I snapped. "How did you find this place?"

"My father had a summer home here when I was a kid," he answered, still staring at me. "I would come to this park and wander. One day I found this clearing."

"Well I'll leave you to your memories then," I said and began to move away. "Goodbye, Fitzwilliam." I heard him sigh in frustration.

"Would you please not call me that?" he said. "My name is Will."

"Every else seems to call you by your last name," I commented.

"My name is Will," he repeated firmly. I raised my eyebrow at him but turned to exit the trees. "What about you?" he called. "Do you go by Elizabeth or Lizzie? I've heard you been called both."

"Gertrude," I replied straight faced. My reward was his confused face. I sighed. No sense of humor. "I go by Lizzie," I informed him. "I'm only Elizabeth when my mother is angry with me. So she doesn't call me Lizzie."

"You call me Will and I'll call you Lizzie," he said with a slight smile. "Deal?" He extended his hand. I looked at it.

"Deal," I said and shook his hand. "Now I really have to go."

"Goodbye, Lizzie," he said and released my hand.

"Bye, Fitzwilliam," I said with a wink, then ducked out of the clearing. Lizzie-4 Darcy-1. Better and better every day.

I was considerably calmer when I got home but still not happy. Jane was immensely worried about while I was gone. She almost had an anxiety attack but once I explained everything, she was fine.

"She's just trying to be nice to Collins," Jane assured me.

I snorted. "She just wants me to have a rich boyfriend."

"Our mother is strange," Jane conceded, "but she only wants what she thinks is best."

"I know," I said. "That's why it's hard to stay mad but I just wanted to be here when Dad got home."

"You go and Skype him," Jane smiled. "Tell him all about our ridiculous family and make him glad he's coming home on Friday."

"Do you want to come?" I asked. She shook her head.

"This is your daddy daughter time," she told me. "I'll get mine while you're on your date." I stuck my tongue out at her but retreated to the library. My dad was waiting for me and we discussed my mother's ludicrous plans.

"I'm sorry, Lizzie," he told me. "Just remember the good things about this plan. Bill Collins is silly and as long as you aren't in public, you should get great enjoyment from his ridiculous remarks."

"Always the optimist," I laughed, then sobered. "I miss you, Dad. I'm glad you're coming home."

"I am too, Lizzie," he said. "I've missed my books and my girls."

"I hoping that you'll get home before Collins picks me up," I commented. "Maybe you can scare him away." He laughed.

"I highly doubt that, Lizzie," he replied. "Do you have someone to go with you? You did remember my rule, didn't you?"

"I actually didn't," I replied. "This is great! If no one can go with us, I can't go with him!"

"I suppose that is one solution," Dad said with a twinkle in his dark eyes.

"Lizzie!" my mother screamed. "Come here!"

I rolled my eyes. "I'll talk to you tomorrow." He chuckled.

"Good luck, Lizzie." Then he was gone.

"What do you want?" I demanded rudely as my mom walked in.

"Charles Bingley just showed up for Jane," she informed me.

"I wonder what he's doing here," I mused.

"_The_ Charles Bingley," my mother crowed loudly. "This is excellent."

"Mother, they can hear you," I hissed. "I'm going to go talk to them." I pushed passed her and made my way to the entry way. Jane and Charles were standing in the hallway, whispering. Caroline was looking around the room with a sneer on her face. I didn't see Darcy until I leaned up against a wall to watch the scene. He was standing separate from the rest of the group, staring off into space. His unruly black curls where handing in his face but he didn't move to brush them. Why did he have to be such an arrogant jerk? It just wasn't fair. He glanced around and caught my eye.

"Hey," I greeted him and nodded my head slightly. This drew Jane, Charles, and Caroline's attention to me.

"Elizabeth," Darcy said with the hint of a smile.

"Lizzie," Jane said. "Charles and I are going on a date this Friday."

"Darn it, Jane!" I exclaimed, ignoring our audience. "You've completely ruined my plans."

"Plans?" she repeated.

I sighed. "Dad just reminded me about his double date rule. I was planning on saying no to Collins because of that. Now that's not a possibility."

"I had forgotten about that rule," Jane said. "Sorry, Lizzie."

"Collins?" Darcy asked and I nodded. "His father works for my aunt."

"Well, I think it sounds like a great idea," Charles said happily. "The more the merrier. What time will Collins be here on Friday?"

"Seven," I answered.

"Perfect," he smiled. "Maybe Darcy and Caroline want to come with us." Caroline looked ready to burst. She's got it bad. Darcy looked bored with the entire situation.

"Did I just hear that you have a date, Jane?" my mother asked, rushing into the room. Lydia and Kitty burst in, arguing about some necklace. Which, when I looked closer, turned out to be mine. I growled some Italian curses under my breath.

"Kitty, Lydia," I snapped. They stopped arguing. It'd been a while since they had heard my Army commander voice but they knew it when they heard it. With a glare, I motioned to the door. They sullenly walked to the door. Lydia stuck her tongue out at me when she left but I just rolled my eyes.

"Why do I feel like you've been to an Army base before?" Charles asked.

"We lived on multiple Army bases all over the world for years," Jane said. "Lizzie is the only one who thrived." We got started into that topic but a little while later, they left.

"Oh Jane," our mom cooed. "I knew that with your beauty you'd be sure to catch a rich boy."

"Mom," Lydia whined. "Lizzie embarrassed us in front of those people."

"What!" my mom exclaimed.

"You were doing that all by yourself," I told them harshly.

"Lizzie, be nice to you sister," Mom ordered. "Are you okay, Liddy? I'm sure Lizzie will let you sit by them at lunch tomorrow to make up for it."

"Excuse me!? Since when is it my fault she doesn't know how to behave?" I shouted. "She can sit where she wants to but I can promise, I won't be there with her." I stormed to my room. My electric guitar was calling to me, so I turned up the speakers and just vented. It was loud. It was obnoxious. It was perfect. All my anger and frustration was poured into the rough song I had just made up. I growled lyrics to the beat and decided to write them down. It's always nice to have a venting song. You need one when you're with my family.


	7. Chapter 7

AN: Hey everybody. I know that I already put on a chapter today but I'm really excited about this story. I hope you are too. I've actually got Chapter Eleven all typed up but you'll just have to wait for that ;). I'd really like to thank everybody who's reviewed this story but I always love feedback. Feel free to criticize (as long as you aren't too harsh) and tell what you're thinking. Enjoy.

Chapter Seven

The rest of the week was boring and spent dreading Friday night. My dad informed us on Wednesday, he was definitely coming home. "No more delays," he had said, "and no more Japanese food. I'm heartily sick of raw fish." Although I was extremely happy he was coming home, I wouldn't be there to see him and that made me angry. My mother was totally indifferent to my feelings and thoughts. There was no point in trying to argue.

Friday night came and I rushed into Jane's room, after trying to decide what to wear.

"What do you think?" I asked her. "The pink sweater Grams got me for Christmas or the 'mud' stained riding shirt?"

"Definitely the puke pink sweater," Jane said. "Wear your work jeans and your glasses."

"Side ponytail or pig tails?"

"Braided pig tails," she answered with a small smile. "Now go get dressed. Some of us are actually trying to look nice." I stuck my tongue out at her but left to put on my hideous ensemble. After a quick glance in the mirror, I decided no one would want to date me now. With a triumphant smirk, I made my way downstairs.

"What are you wearing?" Mom demanded. "Go change right now."

"No," I said defiantly. "It's my date and I will dress how I want to."

"You will not leave the house until you change," she threatened.

"That's exactly what I wanted in the first place," I informed her and started to go back upstairs.

"And neither will Jane," she added smugly. She knew I would do anything for my sister and being the manipulating mother she is, wasn't above exploiting it.

"Fine," I snapped. I stormed upstairs and took off the sweaters, muttering Italian under my breath. My soccer jersey was thrown on but that was the only thing that changed. The glasses, pig tails, and holey, paint-smattered jeans stayed. A quarter after seven, I made my way down the stairs. Jane and Charles were already in deep conversation, Caroline was acting like she wanted to be anywhere else, and Darcy was dealing with Collins. A small smile turned up my lips. Good. Maybe they'll keep to themselves and not annoy anyone else. I heard Mom harrumph from the other side of the room and my smile grew. That's right. I'm a rebel. Her sound drew everyone's attention to me. Jane suppressed a smile, Caroline sneered, Charles smirked, Darcy stared, and Collins…well he groveled. It was hard to watch. So much for my plan. Oh well.

"Ready to go?" Charles asked. Everyone agreed that it was past time to go. We walked out the door and I stared. Waiting for us, was a limo.

"Omigosh!" a high-pitched voice screamed. "Mom, looks it's a limo! Kitty, come and see!"

"Lydia," Jane and I said at the same time. She said it with a sigh. I said it as a curse. Well if Charles was the one, he'd have to get used to our crazy family.

"Let's go," I said, "before my entire family runs to ask for a ride." We all piled into the limo quickly. As expected, Jane and Charles chose their own little corner and left the rest of us to our own devices. Caroline was practically sitting in Darcy's lap, while Collins was groveling again but thankfully not to me. The poor guy looked horribly uncomfortable but I wasn't that sympathetic. His discomfort let me have a few moments peace. The limo's windows were dark and tinted so I took the liberty of rolling one down. I looked up and was disgruntled when I couldn't see the stars. The lights of the city blotted them out. It was going to be a long night. An unusual warm wind blew my bangs out of my face and I closed my eyes. Suddenly, my phone vibrated.

_Dad's home_, Mary's text said. _Just thought you'd want to know. Other than Jane and you, I'm the only one who cared. Mom complained about his being gone so long. Kitty and Lydia asked if they could have some money._ I snorted and shook my head. Only my selfish, annoying sisters would ask him for money after a three months business trip.

_Thanks, Mary_, I replied. _Tell him that Jane and I are glad that he's home. I'll be home before 11:30. Don't tell Mom that. She'll want to wait up._

_Got it. Have fun, Lizzie._ I smiled to myself. Mary was a sweet girl and of my younger sisters, she was my favorite. (Don't tell her I said that). I still hadn't convinced her that novels were the way to go yet.

"It's rude to text on a date, you know," a deep, unwelcome voice said. I glared up into a pair of deep chocolate brown eyes. Was he smiling or was that a grimace?

"Not when your father just got back from a three month trip to London," I countered. "Jane, Mary, and I would be the only ones to give him a proper welcome. Right now Mary is doing it all by herself."

"Is he home safely then?" Jane asked, coming out of Love Land.

I nodded. "Although, I think he was safer in London than he is at home at the moment."

"He's probably holed up with a book in his study," Jane smiled.

"Probably," I laughed. "So Charles, what are we doing tonight?"

"Mini golf," he replied with a charming smile, "and some pizza."

"I love mini golf!" I told him.

"So are you an actual equestrian or a wannabe?" Darcy said, eyeing my shirt and boots. Wait until you see me with the hat, buddy.

"I've won a few roping contests in my day," I answered. "Although, I prefer to just go and ride. I don't think horses were made to compete."

"Do you have a horse then?"

I shook my head. "My horse, Dusk Willow, is in Idaho with my aunt and uncle on their ranch."

"What breed is it?" Well obviously Mr. Darcy had a thing for horses.

"It's a black paint," I replied. "She was born underneath a willow tree at dusk, and…"

"That's where the name came from," Darcy finished. I nodded, a little curious about why he cared. Caroline and Collins looked so confused it was almost comical. Darcy was gazing intently at me again but didn't say anything. Jane and Charles were in Love Land again. The rest of us sat in the different levels of awkward. What are the levels of awkward you ask? Well I'll tell you.

Level one: slightly conscious of an awkward situation. Level two: awkward enough to squirm a little bit. Level three: getting so awkward, you say something stupid to ease the feeling. Level four: thinking about escape plans. Level five: so awkward you actually use your escape plans and ultimately fail. Level six is only achieved after said failure and everyone stares at you…I'm sick of saying awkward…uncomfortably? Yes, I'll go with uncomfortably. I was at level four. Darcy, I believe, was at level two. Caroline was at level three and Collins…he was at level negative eleven. He was positively oblivious to anything other than the fact he was on a date with me, and sitting in limo across from Fitzwilliam Darcy. I was rapidly approaching level five. How badly would it hurt if I threw myself out the window? _Not nearly enough,_ the sarcastic, annoying voice in my head said. Yes I have voices in my head. Doesn't everyone?

Caroline started babbling about the new shoes she had bought. I glanced down at her feet and suppressed a smile. Five inch heels? Really? Not the most practical shoes for mini-golf. Besides, it wasn't like she was terrible short. The girl was almost a foot taller than me. But I guess I'm just short…oh I'm sorry. The politically correct term is "petite". Sounds so much better. Not! My mind is wandering. Where was I? Oh, yes.

"So Elizabeth, do you know anything about Catherine Bourgh?" Collins asked me.

"Isn't she a music producer?" I replied. He nodded enthusiastically and began to extol the "excellent" people at Bourgh Productions. I barely contained the mirth that was threatening to come forth. Did he even know how ridiculous he sounded? Eventually, I just plastered a polite smile on my face and shut his words out. It wasn't that I hated Collins. He was just…clingy. I had saved him once sophomore year from being bullied. He immediately asked me on a date. I was always kind to him but everyone has their limit.

Finally (yes I mean, oh-thank-goodness-that's-over, finally) we arrived at the mini-golf place. I'll spare you the details of that _horrid_ experience but let's just say I had bruises and nightmares for the next week. I limped into the house and glowered at my mother, who was anxiously awaiting our arrival.

"What happened?" she demanded. "How did it go?"

"Horrible," I grumbled and plopped down on the couch.

"What did you do!" she exclaimed.

"How come whenever something bad happens, it's my fault?" I whined. My mother ignored me, continuing to rant and rave about how I'm "ruining" all of her plans. I was saved, or so I thought, when Jane poked her head in the room.

"How's your leg?" she asked, worriedly.

"It hurts like " I started but was interrupted yet again by my mom.

"What happened to her leg?" she demanded.

I snorted. "The guy that _you_ set me up with accosted me with a golf club. If I would have been able to use my leg, he would have gotten quite a surprise."

"Lizzie, why do you have to be so wild!" my mother exclaimed, about to go into another of her little fits. I threw my hands up in the air and jumped off the couch.

"That's it!" I said. "I'm going to study."

"Oh, your father's in there," Mom said, abruptly coming out of her panic. Surprise, surprise.

"That's why I'm going to the study," I called over my shoulder, making my escape (anyone else thinking _Finding Nemo_?). My father, gray hair standing up in all directions, sat in his favorite easy chair.

"Mom giving you hard time again?" he asked without looking up. I smiled slightly.

"Yeah," I answered. "Something about how it's my fault Collins attacked me with a golf club."

"Well now you're here in our little sanctuary, my Lizziebits," he smiled and hugged me. "I'm not sure that you mother even knows how to get into this room."

I snorted slightly. "That's just because you put in that trip wire that rang a bell whenever she stepped on it and then you would lock the door. It must have become habit for her to avoid this part of the house." We shared a good laugh. Tears came to my eyes. He was _home_.

"How about a rousing game of chess?" he suggested. "I haven't had one good opponent in three months. I supposed you'll have to do."

"Bring it on, old man," I smiled. "Before you know it, you'll be a grandpa."

"Don't let your mother hear you say that," he chuckled. "She'll hogtie the next boy who enters this house."

"Speaking of hogtieing," I said, "when is the rodeo coming?"

"Late summer," he answered. "Are you going to enter this year? I'm still not sure why you didn't last year." _And you never will_, I wanted to say.

Instead, I rolled my eyes. "Mom was always disappointed I lassoed cows instead of a husband."

"Come on, darling," he said. "You need some practice anyways. Your Uncle Eddie wants you help out with his ranch over the summer, after your trip to Lambton." Lambton was where my Aunt Maddy grew up. It was one of the pretty places on earth, according to the pictures I saw. For my senior trip, they were taking me there. Jane wanted to go Washington D.C., but the idea of a big city didn't appeal to me. In the end, we had compromised; she would be going to Washington D.C. and stay with our grandparents, while I went on a trip with my favorite aunt and uncle. Then I got to work for them over the summer and earn money for my second semester of college.

"That sounds great," I said honestly. "Maybe I will enter the rodeo. I need money if I'm going to pay for Rosings College." Even with the risk of seeing _him_. I had decided that I wanted to graduate early, much to Jane's distress, and had already been accepted to Rosings College in Hunsford, Vermont. I had a scholarship for one semester but housing and food and…well everything, was expensive. Money is always welcome. By the end of Christmas vacation, I would be out of high school and be practically an adult. I can almost feel you shudder. Yeah I know. The thought scares me too. Lizzie Bennett, able to buy spray paint come August. What mischief could I possibly get into? (Insert evil smile here). Anyways, seeing _him_ again was not reason enough for me to not do what I want.

"I'll have Eddie fly D.W. out here," my dad told me.

"Won't that cost a fortune?" I exclaimed.

"You forget that Eddie's got friends in high places when it comes to shipping horses across country," he smiled. "Now onto that game of chess." In the end, he ended up trouncing me but I was just happy to have him back. Besides, it was nice to have him back. Maybe Jane and I wouldn't be the only responsible ones here anymore.


	8. Chapter 8

**AN: Hey guys. Here's my next chapter. I believe in timely updates, but don't expect this to happen too often. I have a life outside of writing...sort of... Anyway, thanks to everybody who reviewed. You guys just make my day better :) Please enjoy the story and forgive my spelling errors. Thanks for reading!**

Chapter Eight

The rest of the night was spent catching and teasing each other. We snuck quietly into the kitchen for a cup of hot chocolate just like old times. When I was seven, Mom thought I was lactose intolerant so she banned my hot chocolate. Being a seven year old, I wasn't happy but my father didn't let me be angry for long. At midnight every other night, he would wake me up and we would raid his secret stash of hot chocolate mixes. It became a game until Mom found out and decided I wasn't lactose intolerant after all which I could have told her anyway. What did she think I drank with my lunches every day? This little reminder of my childhood with my father was very welcome and after our "secret" cup of cocoa, we both went to bed, tired but happy.

Two hours later my alarm went off. I groaned and hit the snooze button. _Five more minutes,_ I thought. I knew that wasn't an option though and I reluctantly dragged myself out of bed. I had awoken to the same thoughts that I fell asleep with. Why did Darcy stare at me so much? What was so appalling to him? Why wouldn't he just leave me alone? Why couldn't he hate someone else? I shook myself from my thoughts and decided I wouldn't think about Darcy for the rest of the day. Of course then I had to drive to NYC for my lesson. It seemed like the other drivers were driving slowly just to annoy me. In my already aggravated state, this probably wasn't a good.

Luckily, I made it to Helen's before I committed a crime. She noticed I was having a bad day and immediately told me that in April, I would finally meet with the producers. If my schedule at Rosings stayed the same, it would be the week of spring break. Although this was great news, it wasn't enough to completely lift my spirits. I was in no mood to sing my happy, Italian song, so I sat down at the piano and sang one of my most depressing songs. Helen listened to me for a while and then with an exasperated sigh, stalked out of the room. I barely noticed until she came back in with a stack of sheet music. She plopped it down on the piano and I stopped playing.

"You need to sing something happier," she told me. "These are all the musical songs I have. Run wild." With that, she left again. I stared after her for a while, and then chuckled. So it was one of_ those_ lesson days. I rifled through the pile, looking for a decent piece. _Hairspray_? Definite maybe. _West_ _Side_ _Story_? As if. _Beauty and the Beast?_ Ding, ding, ding. We have a winner. I sat down at the piano again and glanced over the accompaniment. Seemed easy enough. The opening chords were slow and sweet. I took a deep and started my most favorite love song.

_Tale as old as time,_

_True as it can be._

_Barely even friends,_

_Then somebody bends._

_Expectantly…_

There was a brief piano solo as it built up to the chorus. I put all my emotion into in and vented through my music like I always do. When I glanced up to see if Helen had come back, I saw Fitzwilliam Darcy staring at me from the door way. I gasped and stopped playing.

"Darcy!" I exclaimed. "What're you doing here?"

"William," Helen said, coming into the room. "I didn't know you were coming to see me. What can I do for you?"

"Nothing, Aunt Helen," Darcy murmured. Whoa, whoa, whoa. Did he just say "Aunt Helen!?" What the heck!

"Then what are you doing here?" Helen asked.

"I was wondering if you had seen Richard lately," Darcy answered distractedly, still staring at me. Helen noticed, being well, not blind, and glanced between the two of us.

"Do you know, Lizzie?" she asked.

"Yes," Darcy replied. "We go to school together." When he said "school", he made a face and I choked down my anger. _Well if you don't like it, go somewhere else, Richie Rich_, I thought,

Out loud, I said, "We do have a few classes together." Again, Helen glanced between us, a sort of evil grin growing on her face. Oh, no.

"That's great," she said, "because I just had the greatest idea."

"Which is?" I asked, suspicious. I had known Helen long enough to realize that some of her schemes were more convoluted and…evil than others. Darcy seemed to be having similar thoughts.

"You two should sing a duet!" she exclaimed. "The Showcase in August is the perfect time for it. I have a copy of 'A Heart Full of Love' from _Les Miserables _that would be perfect."

"We'll be graduated by then," I said quickly, looking for any way out of this. "We wouldn't be able to perform anyway."

"Didn't you hear?" Helen asked happily, obviously enjoying my uncom…fortable…ness…I don't think that's a word. Oh well. "Mr. Drew is doing an Alumni Showcase this year, because he so many graduates. He told me he would especially like you to perform. While you're both here, let's look over that sheet music."

"Oh that's okay," I said. "I should probably be getting home anyway. Bye Helen. Bye Darcy." Then I calmly…sprinted out of the room. A bullet had just been dodged but I knew I'd won a battle, not a war. One thing was weighing on my mind though. Why the heck didn't I know that Darcy was Helen's nephew? I knew that she had a nephew, but I didn't know he was freaking Fitzwilliam Darcy. If he shows up on another one of my practice days, I blame Helen. Did every woman over the age of thirty-five match make? Is it too hard to just let things happen? Although, I suppose Darcy is better than Collins…Did I just compliment Darcy…

Well after getting over the shock that Darcy was actually good for something, I drove home. I winced when my mother's shrieks could be heard outside in the driveway. For some reason, she was in panic-mode (not like that's anything unusual). Lydia and Kitty were laughing and gushing over some text and Mary was attempting to read. When I asked me where Jane was, she directed me to the kitchen where Jane was trying to do her math.

"What is going on?" I asked. Wincing again at my mother's cry of, "Thomas! We are saved!" I looked at Jane expectantly.

"Charles called me," she muttered. "He took me to lunch while you were in the city and Mom keeps on saying that 'I've caught him.'"

"Whoa, whoa, wait," I said. "You went to lunch with Charles after having a date with him last night? I give that kid a gold star for perseverance and initiative."

"Lizzie!" Jane exclaimed, blushing as red as a tomato.

"Yes, sister dear?" I said innocently. She rolled her eyes and went back to her homework. I laughed and went into the family room. Lydia and Kitty immediately pounced on me and pulled on my arms.

"Will you take us to the mall?" Lydia begged.

"I hate shopping, Liddy," I whined, "and besides, you don't have money."

"Daddy just gave me some more allowance," she said proudly. "Please, Lizzie! Please, please, please. PLEASE!" Note to self: tell Dad to stop giving Lydia money…and free time.

I sighed. "Fine. Meet me at the car in five minutes. I'm going to go see if Mary and Jane want to come." Kitty and Lydia grumbled slightly but didn't argue. Jane ended up declining because of homework, and Mary didn't want to come because it was the mall. So maybe I did influence my younger siblings just a little bit. Lydia, Kitty, and I piled into the car and quickly made our way downtown. They not only took over my radio — there is nothing wrong with country music, by the way — but they also embarrassed me every two minutes. Carter and Denny Saunders were accosted in Hollister and Timothy Bertram was chased half-way across the mall. I tried to calm my overly energetic sisters but nothing could rein them in when they saw one of their good friends, Hillary Forester.

"Hill!" Lydia shrieked. "Over here, Hill!" The girl caught sight — or sound — of her friends and rushed over to us. Note to self…again: _Never_ go to the mall with Lydia and Kitty again. Ever. Maybe I can claim she's adopted. No, she looks too much like mom for that. Maybe I can say that _I'm_ adopted. Yep, that's my plan. I stood off a little ways from the giggling freshman and tried not to scowl.

"Hey, Lizzie," George's voice greeted me.

"Hi," I said, scowl turning into a slight smile. "What's going on?"

"I needed some new running shoes for track," he grinned. "What about you? I have to admit that seeing you here is surprising, even though it's a welcome change." Darn, he was charming.

I shrugged. "Oh you know. Just trying to think of ways to disown my baby sister." He laughed which drew Lydia's attention over to us.

"Who's this?" she asked coyly, batting her lashes at him. "Is he one of your friends, Lizzie?"

"George, meet my little sisters, Lydia and Kitty," I said, gesturing to each.

"Why hello there, George," Lydia said "sweetly." I rolled my eyes. Freshman.

"Hello," George smiled dashingly. "You both swim don't you?"

"How did you know?" Lydia giggled and playfully nudged his arm. This was just getting worse. George handled their flirtation with ease. He even invited us to come with him to Phillip's Café. We had a nice late lunch, even if Lydia and Kitty were loud and annoying. On the car drive home, Lydia whacked my arm.

"What was that for?" I demanded.

"Why didn't you tell me you were friends with George Wickham?" she inquired.

"You never asked," I said bluntly. She fell blissfully silent but Kitty chose that moment to speak up.

"Can I sit with you tomorrow?" she asked me. "Lydia and Hillary are going to be in detention, so I have no one to sit by."

"Wait, why is Lydia going to be in detention?" I asked. "And yes, you can."

"I was just handing out in front of the school," Lydia told me.

I scoffed. "What you call 'hanging out', I call sluffing. Come on. You know better."

"It was just one time," Lydia protested. "When did you become so boring?" I glanced back at her and noticed something peeking out of her purse. Is that what I think it is? I pulled over quickly.

"Give me your purse," I ordered. "Now."

"What?" Lydia exclaimed. "Why?"

"Just hand it over," I said. "You'll get it back." When she looked into my hardened stare, she reluctantly gave it to me. I withdrew a little white package of Camel cigarettes.

"I was holding them for a friend," Lydia said quickly. I snorted.

"Was this the reason you were ditching class?" I demanded. The look on her face was answer enough. I growled under my breath.

"Lydia —" I started but was interrupted by a sudden rapping on my window. I quickly hid the cigarettes and looked up into the smiling face of Charles Bingley. I rolled down the window.

"Are you okay?" he asked. "I saw your car and thought maybe you were broken down."

"No, we're fine," I said. "Thanks for checking though."

"Is that a convertible?" Kitty exclaimed, looking back at Charles' car.

"Kitty," I scolded.

"No it's okay," Charles laughed. "Yeah it is."

"Can I have a ride?" Lydia asked, practically bouncing. How badly would it hurt to hit my head against the steering wheel…multiple times? _Not enough,_ my snarky mind replied.

"Actually, I was just headed over to your house," Charles said. "Jane left her jacket in my car."

"I don't want to mess up whatever plans you have," I said. "I'll just take Jane's jacket with me and then you won't have to go out of your way."

"It's fine," he smiled. "Why make plans, unless you're going to break them?"

"So can we have a ride?" Kitty asked excitedly.

"If Lizzie doesn't mind taking one of my passengers," Charles said. I was only vaguely aware of Kitty and Lydia's begging.

"Other passengers?" I squeaked.

He nodded. "Caro, Darcy and I were heading to dinner when I found Jane's jacket."

"Caroline and Darcy?" I repeated. Really? Really? Twice in one freaking day! Does fate really hate me that much?

"Why not," I managed to choke out. "Be good, you two."

"Whatever," Lydia scoffed and happily got out of the car. _Only a few more months until I graduate,_ I repeated like a mantra in my head. I just needed to calm down a little bit. That's all. I would not scream if Fitzwilliam Darcy got into my car. I wouldn't. However, if _both_ Darcy and Caroline got into my car, I'd do more than scream. The passenger door opened and I took a deep breath. I could do this.

"Hello," a baritone voice said. Don't scream and/or swear, Lizzie. You're okay.

"Hey, Fitzwilliam," I greeted him as he climbed into the car. "Sorry for the inconvenience. My sisters can be a little…enthusiastic."

"Yes, I noticed," he said scathingly. Well then. I tried to calmly turn on my car but I almost did scream when the speakers blared with music. Rushing to turn it down, I saw a look of disgust on Darcy's face. It only got worse from there. In my haste, Lydia's pack of cigarettes tumbled down by my feet. I stared up into Darcy's face in horror.

"They aren't mine," I blurted out. "Lydia had them and I was confiscating them so she didn't use them and I forgot they were there. I promise they aren't mine." I realized I was rambling and quickly closed my mouth.

"I never thought they were yours," Darcy said hurriedly. "You don't smell like a smoker." I didn't say anything. How do you reply to that? We drove in silence for a few minutes with my country music playing in the background.

"I didn't know Helen was your aunt," I said after I couldn't take the silence anymore.

"You just can't stand silence, can you?" Darcy said with what _might_ have been a smile. The idea of Darcy teasing me was strange and unbelievable. I must have been dreaming.

"With four sisters, silence isn't exactly something I got used to in my life," I agreed. At the mention of my sisters, a look of disdain crossed his face.

"Helen is my aunt, yes," he said formally. And he's back, ladies and gentlemen.

"So do you actually sing?" I asked. "Or was Helen joking?"

"No, I sing," he said, sounding affronted. "Helen's been teaching me since I was a child."

"She's a great teacher," I remarked. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw him nod but he didn't say anything. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. Fitzwilliam Darcy, the clam. After a few more moments of awkward — and I mean, _awkward _— silence, we arrived at my house. Darcy nodded to me and climbed out of my car.

"Oh thank goodness," I gasped and rested my head on the steering wheel. I hadn't been in such an uncomfortable situation since…ever. That had to be the most awkward, uncomfortable, _painful_ experience of my life. Shaking my head, I got out of the car — which I'd never be able to look at the same — and made my way inside. Darcy and Caroline were sitting in a red convertible. Caroline was whispering something in his ear and he didn't look too happy. Then again, he never looked happy. Ever. When I opened the door, I saw Jane standing in front of Charles, looking at her feet. I leaned against the wall and just watched. No, it wasn't spying; it was curiosity. Don't judge me! Charles leaned down and quickly kissed her cheek. He beamed as he walked out the door. I winked at him as he passed and he blushed bright pink. Jane wasn't much better off.

"So…" I trailed off once he was gone, the question obvious in my voice.

"He's so great," she gushed. "He's nice and sweet and gentlemanly…"

"And handsome," I interrupted. "Never forget handsome. He also has excellent taste in women. Although, I can't say the same about his choice of friends."

"Darcy isn't that bad, Lizzie. I actually think he likes you a little. He always stares at you."

"He only stares to find something to criticize," I said.

"Not everyone is like—"

"I know that Jane," I interrupted, "but that doesn't mean that jerks aren't out there."

"I can't see Darcy doing something completely horrible."

I raised an eyebrow. "Oh really?" I promptly told her what he had done to George. And yes, I tell Jane everything. Absolutely _everything_.

"There must have been a misunderstanding," Jane protested. "He couldn't be such good friends with Charlie if he really did that."

"Charlie, huh?" I smirked. "I don't think that 'Charlie' knows what Darcy did, but feel free to investigate. I have the feeling that Darcy can appear to be a decent enough guy around certain people but 'appear' is the operative word there. He could be a class A actor."

"But…" Jane started but stopped.

"Jane," I laughed, "you let me worry about George and Darcy. You worry about Charles and maybe his sister if you can stand her company."

"Caro's not so bad," Jane said.

"There's my big sis," I smiled and kissed her on the head. "I'm going to challenge Dad to game of chess. Enjoy your homework." She groaned but got back to work. I started to leave the room but her voice stopped me.

"I'm sure this'll turn out to be a big misunderstanding," she told me. I shook my head with a smile and made my way to the study.


	9. Chapter 9

**AN: Here it is, ladies and gentlemen. The long-awaited Netherfield scene. Please R&R.**

**P.S. Let me apologize in advance. Yes, I know in the original story, Lizzie didn't get sick but you'll understand later. Enjoy!**

Chapter Nine

Well, I'm sure all you are sick of hearing about my school day because I'm sure sick of telling you about it. Absolutely nothing happened. I was graduating after Christmas break and my classes were so easy, I was bored to tears. There was absolutely nothing to occupy my time. Except the dashingly handsome George Wickham. He started to take me out every other Friday and by the beginning of October, I was thinking that maybe it'd get more serious. Helen's lessons plus my dates were the only thing that kept me sane. Soccer was over, school was boring, and let's not forget the ever constant presence of Darcy, who glowered at me. All the time! Winter, when George was going out of town, was going to be epically boring. That is, until my aunt and uncle got here.

Aunt Maddy and Uncle Eddie were a party waiting to happen, especially when Mom wasn't around. I was really looking forward to working for them over the summer. It'd be a welcome respite after a semester at Rosings. Anyway, back to Meryton. Jane and Charles were getting more serious by the day. Once I caught them playing footsie under the table. How did I discover this, you ask. Well there was this awkward encounter with Charles' foot. I had to leave the table I was laughing so hard. Two minutes later, it happened again but this time it was Caroline's foot. She was obviously aiming for Darcy who was sitting next to me. This time I couldn't even leave the table. I double over and laughed with tears rolling down my face.

"What's so funny?" Jane asked.

"Nothing," I gasped. "Don't worry about it." I got some weird stares which really didn't help the situation. Oh yes. There were definitely benefits of being the fifth wheel.

Over the next couple of weeks, Jane and Charles got to know each other, Caroline groped Darcy, Darcy alternated between avoiding Caroline and glaring at me, and I avoided everyone but Jane and George, Finally, I got sick of the lovey-dovey stuff — bleh! — and George would find me in library.

One day a few weeks after the disastrous date, (P.S. I also avoided Collins like the plague) Jane cautiously stepped into my room. She looked so nervous that it was almost laughable. I took pity on her and put away my book.

"What's up, _chica_?" I asked. "How's 'Charlie?'"

"He asked me to meet his family," she burst out, "at his house."

"Well I hope you said yes," I replied with a smile.

"Well…" Jane started sheepishly and I stared at her in disbelief. "I told him I needed some time to think about it." I gave her a questioning glance and Jane continued, "I needed to check with my number one consultant: you." Jane smiled and I laughed.

"Well I will allow you to like him," I replied. "You've liked many stupider people. Although, I guess my opinion about Charles really doesn't matter _now_."

"Not all of them were stupid," she protested.

"Just most of them," I smiled and wrapped my arms around her shoulders. "I'm very happy for you."

"But I'm positive you won't be very happy _with_ me when you hear the rest of the story," she told me guiltily. "You know Dad's rule about not going on a date alone. Well, he kind of, sort of…"

"Spit it out!" I exclaimed with a smile.

"Um, Charles and I are going on a double date with you and Darcy," she rushed and looked expectantly for my reaction. Me and Darcy…Me and Darcy? Me and Darcy! Deep breath, Lizzie. In through your nose, out through your mouth.

"When exactly is this date?" I was quite proud that my voice didn't betray that I was furious. Not at Jane. Never Jane but just the situation in general.

"Next Friday," she told me, apparently relieved I hadn't exploded. Yet. "We're going to eat dinner and watch a movie."

"He has a movie theater in his house?" I inquired. She shook her head.

"He's living at the hotel with his sister remember?" she said. I nodded. "Well in the penthouse, there's a huge entertainment system."

"Jane I love you," I told her. "And because I love you, I will do this. But I swear on everything that is good and holy, if Caroline Bingley says one thing about him, I will kill her, Darcy, and then myself."

"So dramatic," Jane teased. "It'll be fine, I promise." Jane should learn to never make promises she can't keep. That Friday, I let her drag me to the Bingley Hotel and up to the Netherfield suite. Charles and Darcy were waiting for us in the lobby. They informed us that Caroline was out with the Hursts. Although this was great news, I still struggled to not run for the door. Just as I had that thought, the rain started pouring down. Then the hail started. Will my troubles never end?

"That's some nasty weather," I said, trying to engage Darcy in some conversation. "I hope we'll be able to get home safely."

"Yes," he intoned. Did the guy have no emotions?

"So Charles," I turned to his friend, giving up on Darcy, "what plans do you have for us tonight?"

"Well we're going to eat some pasta," Charles replied. "Then I thought we could watch a movie."

"Sounds fun," I told him. I normally didn't approve of movie dates because you couldn't really get to know your date but in this case, I didn't mind. We arrived at the pent house and I admired the entryway. It was the best room I'd ever seen. When we travelled, we slept in one room with two beds. Jane and I were usually on the floor, while Mary, Kitty, and Lydia got the bed. This room looked more like a house than like hotel room.

"Do you like it?" Charles asked Jane. I smiled to myself and started wandering. It was a beautiful apartment but I couldn't imagine living here. I had always wanted a cozy little house surrounded by woods; somewhere I could play my music and be who I really was. That sounds really corny but it's true.

"I love it," I heard Jane say, who despised anything small town.

"Let me take you on a tour," Charles suggested and soon it was just Darcy and me in a room filled with more awkward silence.

"So…" he started. I shot a glance at him, inviting him to continue. When he didn't, I sighed and moved toward the sparse bookshelves. Maybe the Hursts had something of value in their small collection.

"Do you enjoy reading?" Darcy finally asked.

"Yes," I replied. "If I can't jump on a horse, kick a soccer ball, or sing, reading is always there for me." He didn't anything and I sighed heavily. "What about you, Fitzwilliam? What do you do in your spare time?"

"I don't have any spare time," he answered. "When I'm not working, I'm taking care of my little sister. Although I do love to read, I rarely get the chance."

"How terribly disappointing," I said, still scanning the titles. "How old are you anyway? I heard you were eighteen but I find it hard to believe that your sister was left with an eighteen year old boy as her guardian."

"I'm nineteen actually," he told me, "almost twenty. I was supposed to graduate last year but then my parents…" He trailed off and I almost felt sorry for him. His parents died and I was being really rude. I needed to put forth a better effort.

"I'm sorry," I said, putting a hand on his arm. "I don't know what I would do without my family." He looked at me in confusion. It seemed that Fitzwilliam Darcy wasn't used to true kindness.

"Yeah, well," he went on gruffly, "I had to stop going to school and didn't graduate. So here I am."

"Interesting," I mused and picked a book with an interesting title.

"What's interesting," Darcy asked as I moved away from the bookshelf to the couch.

"You're a year behind and I'm a year ahead," I informed him. "Both slightly out of place. Tell me about your sister. Is she anything like my fifteen year old sister?"

"Georgiana is _nothing_ like your sister," he said fiercely. I recoiled. All the sympathy I'd been feeling vanished. Who was he to judge my family? So Lydia was a little excitable. What right did he have to be so above the rest of us? I opened my mouth to speak my thoughts but Jane and Charles rejoined us then. Jane's face was flushed and she was practically beaming. Charles looked so smug that I had no doubt in my mind that my sister had just been kissed by Charles Bingley. A smirk rose on my lips and I raised an eyebrow at Jane. She blushed beet red and I suppressed a laugh.

"Let's get some dinner," Charles said and led all of us over to the kitchen. We ate and laughed, or at least Jane, Charles and I laughed. Darcy seemed to prefer to stay out of the conversation. Suddenly, the power went off. Jane gasped and Charles laughed.

"Well, I guess this gives me an excuse to use those candles eh, Darce," Charles said cheerfully.

"This is the only time that I will allow it," Darcy said. "They're so nonsensical."

"I think it's romantic," I protested. Although, I'd be happy if the lights came back on. Romantic and Darcy are not things that should be combined.

"I'm glad you think so," Charles said. It sounded like he was smiling. I couldn't actually see him. A bright light suddenly illuminated the room. Jane's phone was vibrating.

"It's from Mom," Jane informed me. "The storm knocked down a tree and it fell into the power plant. There's no power and people are advised to stay where they are until the storm lets up."

"Is everyone all right?" I asked.

Jane shrugged. "She didn't say. Should we try and get home?"

"No!" Charles exclaimed. "It's too dangerous. You have to stay here. Caroline, Louisa, and Gil will be back soon. We'll talk to them when they get here. For now, let's get the candles set up." We did just that. After enjoying a nice candle lit dinner, we all gathered together to wait for Charles' family to return. At around nine o'clock, they finally walked in the door. Charles explained everything and the Hursts agreed that it was unsafe for Jane and me to leave. Caroline was not happy with the invitation but didn't say anything. Good. I didn't feel like killing myself just yet.

"I'm going to get the stuff from the car," I told Jane. She nodded.

"Did you plan on staying the night?" Caroline's scathing voice stopped me.

"No," I replied calmly. "We have extra clothes, blankets, and food just in case something happens when we're driving." With that, I walked to the stairs. The tally goes up yet again. The stairs weren't too hard to go down blind but I did trip a couple of times. Each time I would laugh and keep moving forward or, more precisely, down. When I got to the door, I looked out in dismay. The rain was falling hard and I could see the lightning flash. I groaned but push the door opened. My clothes were soaked in a matter of seconds and by the time, I got to the car, found the stuff, and the got back into the hotel, I was shivering uncontrollably.

"Lizzie!" Jane exclaimed when I came back to the room. I smiled slightly. Good hearted Jane.

"You must be freezing," Charles said worriedly. "I wish the heater was on." Darcy was staring at me again but I was too cold to really worry about that.

I laughed. "If the heater was on, I'm sure that Jane and I would be home by now. Speaking of which, Jane did you tell Mom and Dad that we couldn't get home." She nodded but kept wringing her hands.

"Come with me," Mrs. Hurst ordered. "We'll get you some dry clothes and warm blankets."

"Thank you," I said, teeth chattering. A few minutes later, I was in a pair of fluffy pajama pants that were way too long and a baggy t-shirt. I brushed my disheveled curls and wearily wrapped myself in a blanket. Jane came over and put her hand on my forehead.

"You're burning up!" she exclaimed. She muttered something to Mrs. Hurst that I missed. My head was pounding and I closed my eyes when the room started to spin. "Lizzie?" Jane's voice penetrated my fuzzy mind and I tiredly opened my eyes. She said something else but I couldn't hear anything above the roaring in my ears. I closed my eyes again and suddenly I was being lifted up. My eyes opened with a snap.

"Don't cough on me," a deep voice ordered. I stared up into Darcy's brown eyes and thought I saw some amusement there. Nope. Not possible. It's delirium from the fever.

"Put me down," I commanded weakly. "Where's Jane?"

"I assume she's with her boyfriend," he replied uninterestedly.

"So they've finally made it official?" I said. "It's about time." He stopped in front of a door and put me down gently. "Whose room is this?" I asked. He shrugged and opened it for me.

"Good night, Elizabeth," he said. "I hope you feel better tomorrow."

"Thank you," I muttered and shuffled into the room. I didn't even close the door before I collapsed in the bed.


	10. Chapter 10

AN: This is Netherfield continued. Thank you for everybody who's still with me. You guys rock! I believe in updating regularly and I'm happy to know you appreciate it. I'd also really like to hear from you. Ask me questions, suggest some ideas for the story, or just talk. If you PM me, I'll answer. Love you all!

Chapter Ten

I woke up the next morning feeling a little better but according to Jane, I still had a high fever. At least, my head wasn't pounding anymore. She also told me that the storm was still raging and it would likely be another day or two before we could go home.

"So I hear that you and Charles are official," I said as she sat by me. She looked down and blushed. I smiled. "I'll take that as a yes."

"He's so amazing, Lizzie," she told me. "He took me on a tour of the house and then he kissed me. After that, he told me that he had liked me from the minute he first saw me. Then he kissed me again."

"No wonder you both looked so happy afterwards," I laughed and then groaned.

"Dad's not very happy we're here," Jane informed me. "He wants to come and get us right away but Mom won't let him."

"I wouldn't be surprised if she somehow made it rain," I said. "You never know how far she'll go to get us rich boyfriends."

"Feel up to breakfast?" Jane asked and I nodded. She helped me out of bed and I shooed her away so I could change. I always felt better after putting on clean clothes. When I exited the room, I made my way to the kitchen. Everyone was there and they greeted me with varying levels of enthusiasm: Charles and Jane did so happily, the Hursts politely, Caroline said hello, and Darcy stared.

"Hello," I said. "Thank you so much for everything you did for me. I really appreciated it."

"I'm just glad you're okay," Charles smiled. "Are you completely recovered?"

"Not quite," I replied, lips twitching. "I still have a fever but my head does feel a little better."

"That's good to know," Charles beamed and then turned his attention to Jane. I didn't feel at all rejected. In fact, I was grateful that no one was speaking to me. All I wanted was to be left alone.

"So have any of the girls caught your eye yet, Darcy?" Mrs. Hurst asked. Darcy opened his mouth to answer but was cut off by Caroline.

"I doubt any of them are up to par, Louisa," she said. "He has a very specific list on what he wants in a girl."

"A list?" Mr. Hurst repeated with a slight smile. "Please go on." Mr. Hurst and I would soon become good friends, I was sure of it.

"Well…" Caroline started.

"Caro," Darcy growled. "Drop it." She ignored him and forged on.

"She has to be able to sew, speak foreign languages, cook, clean, sing, and play the piano. She has to be athletic, funny, beautiful, and smart."

"And she has to love to read," Darcy muttered into his plate.

"That's a tall order," Mr. Hurst chuckled and I joined in. Caroline whipped her head around to glare at me.

"What's so funny?" she demanded.

"I have never seen a girl who had all of that," I told her. "I'm not sure any girl even exists outside of books. Even then, she always some deficiency."

"I've met lots of girls that are like that," she protested. I looked at my hands and tried to hide my smile. She was obviously thinking of herself.

"Lizzie?" Charles' voice broke through my thoughts. "Could you be convinced to give us a little bit of a performance?" He obviously disliked conflict, much like Jane. Ooh, they were completely perfect for each other.

"Maybe another time," I smiled. "If I sing with a sore throat, I'll lose my voice."

"I'll hold you to that promise," Charles told me. Jane was beaming as Charles held her hand.

"Charles, Caroline," Mrs. Hurst, who had insisted I call her Louisa, said, "What do you two think about having a Halloween party in the Grand Ballroom?"

"I thinks that a great idea!" Charles exclaimed.

"I think it's ridiculous," Caroline sniffed, with a side glance at Darcy. I rolled my eyes. "Who would want to dress up in a silly costume and dance in a crowded room?"

"It could be like a masquerade ball," Charles said, totally ignoring Caroline. "What do you think, Jane?"

"I think it would be really fun," Jane said quietly with a bright smile.

"The mystery would definitely make it more interesting," I said, quite intentionally cutting into the conversation. It's a fault of mine but there's something extremely entertaining about annoying people. Charles smiled in agreement to my statement and went back to talking with Jane. I smiled to myself. The rest of breakfast — at least for me — was silent. Jane seemed to notice something was up.

"Lizzie, you need to go back to bed," she said.

"No, I'm fine," I protested. I tried to stand up and I immediately felt dizzy. When she saw me wobble slightly, she grasped my arm and led me back to the room where I had spent the night.

"Now get in bed and go to sleep," she ordered. I sighed and did as she said.

"Whose room is this anyway?" I asked. I wanted to know exactly whose bed I was stealing.

"I'd assume it was Darcy's because I stayed in Charles room last night," Jane said. "Not like that!" she said, seeing my eyes widen. "He and Darcy slept on the couches."

"So you mean to tell me, I'm sleeping in _Darcy's_ bed?" I asked. "Oh dear goodness." I moaned and flung myself back onto the pillows. Not the best idea.

"Just don't think about it," Jane advised. "It's a lot easier."

"No one ever hears about this. Agreed?"

"Agreed," Charles said from the doorway. "What are we agreeing on?"

"Nothing," I said quickly. "Just sister stuff."

"Uh huh," Charles smirked. "Anyway, I was just coming to tell Jane that we need another person for our candle light card game."

"I don't know if I should leave Lizzie," Jane said hesitantly.

"Jane go and have fun," I ordered. "I'm just going back to sleep anyway."

"If you're sure," Jane said.

"Go," I urged and soon I was all alone. In Fitzwilliam freaking Darcy's room! Just don't think about it? How do I do that? I glanced around the room. It was bare posters or anything personal. The soccer ball in the corner and a picture of a little girl with golden ringlets were the only clues into the mind of Darcy. Finally, I was just so exhausted that I fell into a dreamless sleep. A few hours later, I woke up to rustling sounds. I sat up too quickly and winced.

"Are you okay?" Darcy's voice asked.

"I'm fine," I said. "What are you doing?"

"This is my room," he said. "I just needed a change of clothes." _Please be fully clothed; please be fully clothed_, I chanted in my mind. I couldn't even really tell in the darkness anyway.

"Oh," I said, unable to say anything more intelligent.

"The storm still hasn't let up," he informed me. What wouldn't he just leave? "Jane started feeling sick today. I think she caught whatever you did."

"Thank you for the information," I said, trying not to sound rude. "I think I'll go visit Jane. Will you show me where she is?"

"Okay," he said. I got out of the bed and carefully made my way to the door.

"What time is it?" I asked.

"Just after ten p.m."

I groaned. "I slept almost twelve hours. I hate doing that."

"Why?" I rolled my eyes, knowing he couldn't see me.

"I always feel so lazy," I said.

"I see," Darcy said. "I thought that more sleep would make you feel more refreshed."

"But too much sleep is as bad as too little sleep."

"Hmm," he said. That was all. No "I agree" or "That's stupid." Just "hmm." Why does he have to be infuriating? Sometimes I feel like he enjoys annoying me and making me hate him. Eventually, we got to where Jane was sleeping. She muttered in her sleep—something she only did when she was really sick—and I rushed to her side.

"Jane?" I asked. "Janie, what can I do to help you?"

"Lizzie, are you feeling better?" she murmured.

I laughed. "Only you, Jane, would ask if _I_ was okay when you're obviously suffering. Yes, I feel much better. I think even my fever is gone."

"That's good," she muttered and went back to sleep.

"You can have your bed back, Darcy," I said. "I'll stay with Jane tonight."

"Do you want to get sick again?" Darcy said. "You should really go back to my room. I insist."

"And I _insist_ that you let me take care of my sister," I snapped. "I won't be able to sleep anyway, so I'll be happier in here." He huffed slightly and turned on his heel to leave to room. I sighed in relief. For the rest of the night, I stayed by Jane's side. Her fever only got worse and I was starting to get worried. Where was that Tylenol Jane gave me? After making sure that Jane was truly asleep, I went to look for it. I was still in my pajamas but I didn't really care at the moment. Charles, Caroline, Darcy and the Hursts were all gathered at the table where a candle sat, doing various activities. Charles was the first one to notice me.

"How's Jane?" he asked immediately. I smiled slightly.

"She has a high fever and isn't very comfortable," I answered. "Do you know where the Tylenol is? I think that will help."

"Of course," Charles said. He helped me find it and as way of thanks, I smiled gratefully at him.

"Elizabeth," Mrs. Hurst called, "you clothes are dry if you want to change."

"Thank you," I said and rushed back to Jane. After giving her the medicine, I did change into my clothes.

"Lizzie, what are you still doing here?" Jane asked at around noon. "Go mingle."

"But I like your company so much better," I told her with a small smile.

"I'm fine," she said. "I'm actually feeling really tired. Please go and socialize with everyone. I don't want you to be bored. Please."

"Fine," I sighed, "but only because you said please. By the way, it stopped raining but all roads are closed until further notice." I wasn't very happy about that, but I wasn't in charge of Mother Nature. I kissed Jane on the forehead and left the room. Did I really want to socialize right now? No. Was I going to do so anyway, to make Jane happy? You betcha.

"What secret are you keeping over there, Darcy?" Caroline asked just as I came into the room. Darcy was in the corner, typing on a laptop. Thank goodness the power was back up, even if the roads were closed.

"It's not a secret," Darcy said. "I'm emailing Georgie."

"I just adore her," Caroline gushed. "She is the sweetest little girl." I scoffed quietly and went over to the bookshelf. Hmm. To Kill a Mockingbirdor Twilight? Such a hard decision. I settled myself down on the couch and opened the book. It was a little hard to focus with all the conversations going on, but I managed.

"She's not really little anymore, Caro," Charles laughed. "She's fifteen." Caroline ignored him and continued to talk to Darcy.

"Tell her that I can't wait to see her this December," she said. "Has she grown any since last year?"

"She's about Elizabeth's height now," he answered with a glance at me.

"Speaking of Elizabeth," she smiled falsely, "would you like to walk around the room with me?"

"Um, why?" I asked, looking up briefly.

"It's a good way to stretch your muscles," Caroline said. "Come on." Then she hauled me up off the couch and put her arm through mine. We began a pointless stroll around the room and I tried not the laugh at the absurdity of the situation.

"Isn't this nice?" Caroline said. "Come and join us, Darcy."

"Thank you but no," he said. "There are only two reasons for your walking and I'd get in the way of either."

"What do you mean?" Caroline said. "What does he mean, Elizabeth?"

"He obviously wants to criticize us, so the best way to disappoint him is to ignore the comment." The idea of disappointing Darcy was abhorrent to Caroline and she immediately demanded for Darcy to explain himself.

"You two are either gossiping away," he said, "or you know that by walking, your bodies are at the greatest advantage. If you're gossiping, I'd get in the way. And if it's the other reason, my view is much better from here." Charles and the Hursts laughed at this.

"Shocking," Caroline gasped. "You deserve some penalty for that. So Elizabeth, how will we punish him?"

"That is the easy part," I smiled. "You know him well enough, that you could probably tell me the best things to tease him about."

"Darcy never does anything that's worthy of jokes," Caroline said.

"Really?" I asked. "So Mr. Darcy has no faults then?"

"I try to avoid ridiculous behavior," Darcy said.

"What about pride and arrogance?" I inquired. "Those are what I call faults."

"Arrogance is a fault," he agreed, "but pride is a good thing in moderation, if there's something to be proud of."

"So what faults do you have, Darcy?"

"I'm not perfect," he said. Obviously. "My resentment is permanent and can never be undone."

"So you hate everybody?" I asked cheerfully.

"And you deliberately misunderstand them."

"Elizabeth, shouldn't you check on Jane?" Caroline asked. I doubted she actually cared about my sister. She probably just wanted to get rid of me.

"Yes, I should," I said. "Thank you for the walk, Caroline. It was…interesting." With that, I went back to Jane's room.


	11. Chapter 11

AN: Okay here's some warning for this chapter. Lizzie teases about Darcy being gay (Sorry if this offends anyone) and later you learn why Lizzie is so self-conscious and why she doesn't do the rodeo anymore. Some of the things I mention aren't exactly politically correct but I think it make Lizzie a little more human. Please forgive me if it totally turns you off from my story but some things just need to be written. Please R&R.

Chapter Eleven

Our…wonderful stay at Netherfield only lasted a few days. The rain stopped, the roads were pretty clear, and Jane was feeling better (I still felt really guilty for getting her sick though). Mom welcomed us with open arms and a frown. Obviously, it wasn't enough for us to be home safely. She demanded to know exactly what happened but Jane and I had already agreed to avoid the topic of "Chane" (yes I am the only one who called them that), because we all knew exactly how she'd react. So Jane and Charles' agreement was kept a secret. Eventually, Lydia found out and we swore her to utter secrecy. Of course, this only meant that our parents were never told. Anyone else who would listen on the other hand…

The excitement for the Bingley's Halloween party grew more and more palpable as the event drew nearer. I still wasn't completely sure what I was going as due to the fact that I was helping Jane with her costume. Jane and Charles were coordinating because Charles' decided he wanted to go as Jane's Prince Charming. And you know what else he did? He took her shopping for her Cinderella costume! He actually drove her to the mall and went to every store with her. How amazingly sweet is that? If he was my type, I might be jealous.

While Jane was buying and making her costume, she desperately tried to get me to wear a dress to the party. The only problem was that I didn't do dresses. With the exception of Sundays, of course. Ultimately, Jane the evil mastermind thwarted my plans to go as a gangster.

"I have a surprise for you," she told me excitedly one day, a week before the party

"What type of surprise?" I asked cautiously.

"It's up in your room," she smiled. Never one to pass up on free stuff, I immediately rushed up into my room. Lying over my bed was a gorgeous dress. The golden satin shined slightly in the dying sunlight shining in from my window. I gaped at the sight.

"Surprise!" Jane exclaimed. "You'll literally be the Belle of the Ball." I didn't say anything. My dear, sweet sister bought me a _dress_. Jane meddled in my life and forced me into something that I didn't really want to do…I threw my arms around her.

"I'm so proud of you!" I cried. "You imposed your will on others for the first time in almost nineteen years. Just because of that, I'll wear the dress." Her face fell.

"You wouldn't wear it before?" she asked.

"No, no," I quickly assured her. "I love the dress but even you have to admit that it's not really my style. I love it and of course I'll wear it.

"Will you try it on for me?" she begged. "Please." Unable to resist my favorite sister, I rolled my eyes and went to go change into the dress. I felt like Belle from Beauty and the Beast which is a good thing cause that's what Jane was going for. She gasped when she saw me.

"You are so beautiful," she told me. "I can't wait to do your hair and make-up."

"The party's not for two more weeks," I laughed. "Besides you know that Kitty and Lydia are going to be occupying your time. You'll barely have time for you, let alone me."

"I could tell them I promised to do you first," she suggested.

"Jane, that would not stop them," I said, with a shake of my head. "I'll just get Charlotte to do it. She does the make-up for the Drama department so I'll be just fine."

"If you're sure…" Jane hesitated.

"I'm positive," I smiled. "Don't worry about me and thanks for the dress."

"Anytime," Jane smiled and hugged me.

"I'm still wearing my jeans and Converses under it though," I told her.

"I figured," she said. "Do you want to come with Charles and me to Phillip's?"

"I really don't want to be a third wheel," I replied.

"You won't be. Darcy's coming too." She looked slightly annoyed at this.

"Are you asking me to distract Darcy, so you can 'Charlie' can escape to Love Land?" I asked.

"That's not exactly how I would put it," Jane mumbled, blushing. I took pity on my shy sister and agreed to come. Phillip's, at least on a Saturday night, was a pretty lively place. On the weekends, they had live music and the dance floor was filled with high school students. Jane and I knew the owners so whenever their regulars couldn't come, they asked me to perform. The atmosphere was definitely directed to the younger age group. For every one slow song, they played seven fast, fist-pumping ones.

As I suspected, Jane and Charles were in their own little world while Darcy glared at nothing in particular. One of my good friends, Stephan Granger, was DJing tonight and I decided to take a break from the awkwardness of our booth to visit him.

"Lizzie!" he greeted me.

"Hey Steve!" I shouted over the blaring music. "How's life?"

"I'm getting paid less than minimum wage for my epic skillz," he told me and yes I know that's not how you spell "skills" but he's a DJ. That's really how he talks!

"Want to throw in a playlist and come meet some new friends?" I asked. He laughed at the face I made when I said "friends."

"That kind of night, huh?" he said. "Thanks but no thanks. They don't pay me for a playlist. Save me a dance though."

"Always," I told him and made my way back to my table.

"Was that Stephan?" Jane asked me.

"Yep," I answered. "He's working tonight, so they night won't be dull." Yeah. That was the understatement of the year.

"Is he a friend of yours?" Darcy asked haughtily.

"Yes, he is," I bristled. It seemed that a humble DJ wasn't good enough for Mr. Millionaire.

"Hey everybody," Stephan's voice on over the music. "I promised my beautiful friend, Lizzie Bennett, a dance. Are ya'll alright with a slow song?" The crowd roared their approval. Yep. Stephan was going to die. I rolled my eyes as the crowd parted around Steve. He grinned at me a waggled his eyebrows. I smiled slightly and stood. He winked at me as he took my hand and twirled me before starting to sway gently.

"I hate you," I whispered. "You do realize that, right?"

"Of course," he smiled. "If you didn't, I wouldn't like you nearly as much. Now tell me who is tall, dark, and death glare over there in the corner?"

"That's Jane's boyfriend's best friend," I said. "He's what I call socially deficient."

"Are you sure he's just Jane's…whatever?"

"Positive," I said. "Why?"

"I'm a guy…" he started.

I snorted. "Yeah, I got that."

"So I know what that death glare means," he finished. "That boy is either extremely jealous of either you or me, and upon observation, I'd have to say it's me."

"I don't know," I said. "His being gay could explain a lot. Poor Caroline."

"Come on, Liz," Steve said. "Trust me when I say that he is definitely not gay. If he was, he'd be glaring at you not me."

"I was just joking," I said. "Besides, it would be bad if he liked me because I've sworn to hate him forever."

"As the unbiased third party, I'm going to test my theory."

"Steve, don't you—" I threatened but it was too late. He had already waltzed us over into the corner.

"Hey there," Steve said happily. "My name's Stephan but you can call me Steve."

"Hi," Darcy said warily. "I'm Darcy."

"I've got to get back up to my booth," Steve told him. "Do you think you could finish the dance with Lizzie?"

"No, it's fine," I cut in. "I just want to go sit down anyway."

"I'd like to dance with you," Darcy said.

"That's really nice but I'm a little tired," I replied and quickly moved away. Steve chuckled silently and moved back to his booth. I'm sure a judge would understand why I killed him. Right?

"Hurry up, Liddy!" I shouted. "You're making us late." It was Halloween night and we were late because Lydia had already changed four times.

"I'm coming," she yelled back. She was going as Little Red Riding Hood and when I say "little" I mean everything on her costume was short. If I tried to walk out of the house like that—not that I ever would—my mother would have a heart-attack but not her little Lydia. Kitty looked a lot better in her black cat costume and Mary's Harry Potter costume wasn't horrible. Jane and I were dressed in our princess dresses—and jeans in my case—but I was uncomfortable. How did women do this every day!? I probably would have worn pants anyways.

"We're getting in the car and leaving in five minutes," I informed Lydia loudly. "If you aren't there, we'll leaving you."

"Geez, calm down," Lydia rolled her eyes. "I finally fixed the cape." It was actually more of a red dish towel covering a tight fitting top and short skirt.

"Don't care," I said. "Let's go." In another ten minutes—Kitty forgot her mask—we were on our way. We arrived fashionably late and Charles greeted us with a big smile.

"Hey," he said. "Now that you're here the party can start." He beamed at Jane and grabbed her hand to lead her into the ballroom. The room was massive and filled to the rafters with people. Pumpkins, electric candles, cobwebs, and spiders were spread about the room. The stage, which supported a live band, was slightly raised and also decorated with Halloween stuff. My mask and make-up couldn't hide my shock. There were so many people.

"Look there's Carter!" Kitty exclaimed.

"And Denny," Lydia shouted and dragged Kitty off in the direction of the boys dressed like G.I. Joes. I rolled my eyes and scanned the room for George. He told me he would be dressed as a pirate—lame, right?—but that costume was so common it was impossible to spot him.

"Are you looking for someone?" Charles asked me.

"Yeah but I'm sure he'll turn up soon," I smiled. "You two go have fun."

"Are you Lizzie?" a guy asked after Jane and Charles had moved on.

"Yes," I said. "Obviously you know who I am. Do I know you?"

He shook his head with a smile. "No, but you know my friend George. He wanted me to tell you that he couldn't come tonight. He's very sorry and promises to make it up to you." He said this with a wink that made me blush. The guy moved on—actually he was dragged away by my sisters—and I was left to hang out with Charlotte.

"Where's George?" she asked. She was dressed as a cowgirl. In exchange for doing my make-up and hair, I had let her use my hat and boots for her costume.

"I have a feeling he was driven away by away by a rude, arrogant, pig-headed…" Charlotte bumped me and interrupted my speech. "What?"

"Paul's here," she whispered with a gesture at the corner where a tall blonde boy dressed as Wesley from The Princess Bride stood. I gritted my teeth and took a deep breath to calm the quiver of fear in my stomach.

"I'm fine," I said in response to Charlotte's worried look. "Oh look. He's talking to Darcy. Why doesn't it surprise me that they get along?"

"Lizzie," Jane gasped, running up to me. "Paul's…"

"I know he's here," I interrupted, "but the question is why?"

"He's a crasher," Charles said. "I would throw him out but he's not really causing any harm."

I shook my head. "No it's fine. Let him stay."

"Can I ask why none of you like him?" Charles inquired.

"Jane will tell you," I said. "I'm going to step out onto the balcony." I walked away from their worried looks and tried to push through the crowd while still avoiding Paul. Of course I was pushed and I ran right into Paul Jennings.

"Are you okay?" he asked as he caught me.

"I'm fine," I muttered and looked down. He stared at me.

"Lizzie?" he asked. I didn't say anything and ran toward the balcony. I was so distracted that I didn't notice Darcy throughout the interchange. "Lizzie!" Paul called. "Lizzie, wait!" I ignored him and kept running. The balcony was thankfully empty and the cool October air felt amazing on my flushed skin. I heard the door open and close again, and I heaved a sigh.

"Go away," I said. "Please."

"You look amazing, Lizzie," Paul said from behind me.

"Thanks so much," I replied sarcastically. "It's nice to know that after starving myself for three years, I finally meet your approval."

"You have to admit, you were a little overweight," Paul said.

"I was anorexic and bulimic, Paul!" I shouted. "I starved myself because you told me every day that I was fat and worthless and that no one could ever love me. You said that you were the only one who would ever want me. My sister had to stage an intervention. To this day, no one but her and Charlotte know exactly what happened."

"You didn't have to do those things to yourself," he retorted, getting angry now. "You could have done something different."

"I tried dieting and exercise," I said, tears streaming down my face. "It wasn't until I stopped eating all together that you finally said I was looking good. You refused to feed me when we went on dates. You said I was looking fat, so I'd better skip breakfast. And lunch. And dinner!"

"I like my girls skinny," he said indignantly.

"I hope you like them dead too because I was almost there last year before I had the courage to break up with you. Even then, I didn't start eating."

"You looked good!"

"I could count my ribs!"

"You're overreacting."

"Am I?" I asked. "The doctor said that if I had come in a week later, they would have had to hospitalize me and feed me through a tube. You're the reason I stopped competing in the rodeo. I was so terrified of seeing you and I even couldn't get on my horse."

He rolled his eyes. "Lizzie, you were hardly skin and bone. The running we did every morning was really helping you. We should do that again."

"So you can tell me who I can and can't be friends with again?" I asked. "So you can completely control my life and actions? Do you remember that time you broke my arm, Paul? Do you remember when you slapped me for talking to Steve?"

"He was a bad influence on you anyway," Paul said. "You were so much better off with me. Come on, baby. I still love you and I doubt that you've dated anyone since you dumped me. I'm all you got left. Who else wants a broken girl who's unremarkable? I'm your only chance at love and marriage." My chest heaved as I sobbed. He was right. He was always right.

"No!" I shouted. "You are not going to affect me anymore. Leave now and stay away from me. I don't ever want to see you again."

"You can't make me leave," he sneered.

"But I can," Charles said menacingly from the doorway.

AN: Once again, I apologize for how dark this. I had a friend tell me that it kinda came out of nowhere. If you agree, please comment. If you disagree, comment anyways! :) I love hearing for all of you. Please don't hate me for writing this.


	12. Chapter 12

AN: I'm back again! Can I just say how much I love you all! I was reading through all my reviews and it just made me happy that people cared enough to comment. Even the critical ones. They really made me think about the story and where I'm going to take it. In the future, if you have suggestions in your review, please ask for a reply. I'm too lazy to reply to everyone unless they specifically ask for it :) Thanks guys! Please R&R just because it makes me feel good :)

P.S. This is a fluffy chapter, considering the last one was depressing.

* * *

Chapter Twelve

"I don't know how much you heard," Paul said smoothly, "but this is my girlfriend and I've got this covered."

"Girlfriend!" I repeated.

"Baby, calm down," Paul soothed. "I'll take you home. You're obviously not feeling well."

"Come anywhere near me and I swear that I'll kill you," I snapped as he came towards me. Charles reached out and grabbed Paul's arm.

"I'll help," he said. "I heard what you did and I hope you know that scum like you need to be put in prison. If you ever come near Lizzie again, I'll report you."

"I'll see you later, babe," he told me still glaring at Charles who was looking downright hostile. When he was finally gone, Charles walked over to where I was clenching and unclenching my fists.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"I'm fine," I said. "Don't worry about me. I just need some time alone."

"Okay," he said, obviously still worried.

I smiled and touched his arm. "Thank you." He smiled and gave my hand a small squeeze. Then he left. I sighed in relief and leaned against the railing, letting the tears running down my face. Why did he have to show up? My wounds were so closed to being healed and then he comes back and just ruins everything. I was really proud of myself for standing up to my personal demon but the experience was so emotionally draining. I sighed again and sank to the floor. I was just so exhausted.

"Why are you on the ground?" a slightly worried said. I opened my eyes an saw Darcy standing in the doorway.

"Because I am," I snapped. "What are you out here?"

"Because I am," he replied. "Are you going to come join the party like a normal person?"

"Are you?" I countered, eyes flashing.

"Want to dance?" he blurted out. After saying this, he looked somewhat confused.

"Right now?" I asked, eyebrow raised.

He shrugged. "Why not?" He came over and grabbed my hand to pull me up. I had no choice to comply. Soon we were swaying slowly in a circle. I could hear "So Close" by Jon Mclaughlin playing over the din of the party inside. That was the only sound on the balcony. I didn't talk and neither did he. Memories of the car ride flashed in my mind and desperate to avoid another incident, I said, "I think we need to have some conversation."

"What do you want to talk about?"

"That'll do for now. Maybe later I'll say how amazing the decorations are and how I'm shocked by how many people showed up."

"Do you always talk?" he asked rudely.

"No," I said, looking him straight in the eyes, "I prefer to wallow in awkward silence and glower at people." He didn't say anything and I took it as a surrender. After a more rotations and moments of uncomfortable silence, he finally deigned to ask me a question.

"Do you play soccer?"

"Um, yeah," I said. "Why?"

"I saw you in a jersey once but I didn't know if you actually played." I resisted the urge to snort and roll my eyes.

"Well, now you know," I said. "What about you? Any sports? Hobbies?" _Emotions? Manners?_ I added silently.

He nodded. "I play soccer, swim and ride horses recreationally."

"Oh you swim?" I said. "My little sisters and one of my good friends swim."

"George Wickham isn't what I called a 'good friend,'" Darcy told me and I forced myself to swallow my annoyance at his tone. "You should stay away from him."

"Why exactly?"

"He's just a bad person, okay?"

"I'm not going to ditch one of my friends without a legitimate reason."

"Fine," he barked. "Just don't blame me when you get hurt."

"What about you, Darcy?" I asked, ignoring his comment. "You were best friends with him at once time." Darcy's face hardened

"Yes, I was," he admitted, "but we aren't anymore."

"Why is that?" I inquired. "I remember you telling me once that you don't forgive easily. What has George Wickham done to lose the great Fitzwilliam Darcy's friendship?"

"What exactly are you trying to get at?" Darcy demanded.

"I'm trying to figure you out," I told him honestly. "I've heard so many things about you and I just don't what to believe."

"Maybe you shouldn't draw conclusions about people without getting to know them," he said, glaring at me. We stared at each other for a while until I realized the music had stopped.

"Thank you for the dance," I said, stepping back. "I'm going to go back inside." I started to walk toward the door but he stopped me by grabbing my arm.

"Promise me, you'll stay away from Wickham."

"No," I said frankly and pulled away.

* * *

"Where have you been?" Charlotte demanded. "Where did you go after escaping to the balcony?"

"I just ran into two unwanted jerks," I told her.

"Did you have anything to do with Paul leaving in a rage?" Charlotte asked. "I was really worried but you didn't get my texts. I was scared he had hurt you." I hugged her tightly.

"Unfortunately to get my phone, I'd have to lift up the dress and get into my jeans pocket." I told her. "Thanks for being the bestest friend ever and always watching out for me."

"It's no problem," she assured me. "You obviously need it." I laughed and nudged her shoulder.

"Shut up."

"So who was the other 'unwanted jerk?'" she asked. I growled under my breath which made Charlotte laugh. "Could have been tall, dark, and handsome over there?"

"If by 'tall, dark, and handsome,' you mean rude, arrogant, and condescending, then yes," I said. "Plus, people really need to learn how to describe him differently. I swear that I've heard like seven people call him that."

"Lizzie baby," Charlotte laughed, "that's because he _is_ tall, dark, and extremely handsome but you're being a little dense. I know you like George but Darcy is not only more handsome but also richer."

"Lottie!" I exclaimed. "You know that I don't think about that."

"Maybe you should," Charlotte said. "A rich snobbish boyfriend is better than no boyfriend."

"You don't actually believe that, do you?" I asked.

"Well, at least Jane doesn't have to choose between a nice boyfriend and a rich one," Charlotte commented, avoiding my question. I narrowed my eyes but didn't push it.

"I'm happy that she's happy," I said. "But if Charles wasn't rich, she'd be just as happy."

"That's because she's Jane," Charlotte said and rolled her eyes. Suddenly, over the noise of the party, I heard a familiar, horrifying sound.

"Denny, give me my basket back," Lydia shrieked.

"Let go of my tail, Carter," Kitty shouted with a giggle. They breezed past us, chasing after two boys, screaming at the top of their lungs.

"Lizzie," Jane ran over to me, out of breath. "Come quick. The band took a break and Mary's singing."

"Oh no," I said and ran toward the stage where Mary was "entertaining" the crowd. She was singing and playing the piano really loudly and not very nicely.

"Get off the stage," someone shouted. Mary ignored him and kept playing.

"You stink," another yelled. Abruptly, poor Mary was being booed by all the rich jerks from Meryton.

"What do you expect?" Caroline, who was dressed as a witch (how fitting), said. "Her sisters are _scholarship_ students." Mary heard this and I saw tears glistening on her cheeks. That's it. I've had enough. Fuming, I stalked to the stage and hopped up. A few whistled and cheers greeted me from my choir buddies.

"Lizzie!" Mary exclaimed and rushed over to me. I hugged her tightly as she sobbed into my shoulder.

"Shh," I soothed her and stroked her hair. "I'm going to sing now. Will you go stand by Jane?" She nodded and rushed off the stage, wiping her eyes. Once she was gone, I plugged in an electric guitar and stood behind the microphone. I glared out at the crowd.

"Hey there," I said. "You might not know me but my name is Lizzie Bennett and I'm a scholarship student. I'm dedicating this song to all you idiotic, rude, arrogant jerks out there who just booed my baby sister off the stage. I wrote this song a few weeks ago specifically for someone who I just can't stand sometimes and now I'm singing it for you. I hope that makes you feel like an important person but to me you're just another face in the crowd who will never earn my respect because you don't have to common sense to be nice. Enjoy." With that, I started playing my venting song. I glared over the crowd as I sang. Some people looked down, some glared back, and some walked away. When I played the last chord, I stared daggers at Caroline and Darcy. Caroline sniffed and looked away. Darcy just stared back.

I hopped off the stage and walked through the crowd to find Jane and Charlotte. They greeted me happily and told me that Mary was waiting in the car until we left. Charles came over and gave me a big smile before leading Jane to the dance floor. Charlotte was asked to dance as well, and I stayed in the corner, watching my closest friends have a good time.

"Lizzie, we have a small problem," Kitty whispered in my ear.

"What does that mean?" I asked. Kitty shifted uneasily but spilled everything when she saw my scowl.

"Lydia's drunk," she told me. "Like really, really drunk. I think people have been slipping her alcohol." I gave her my "really? You expect me to believe that?" look.

"Okay," she caved. "Denny and Carter _might_ have stolen some booze from their parents and offered Lydia some. She could have possibly taken it."

"What about you?"

"They didn't offer me any." She sounded almost disgruntled but that was a problem for another day.

"We need to find her and get her home," I said, looking around the room for her.

"Lizzie!" a familiar, slightly slurred voice called. "Lizzie, come here!"

"Lydia," I said, grabbing her arm. "What were you thinking? Come on. Let's get you home."

"No," she said. "I don't want to go home. I want to party."

"I think you've had plenty of party time," I replied, dragging her toward the door. She ripped her arm out of my grip.

"You can't make me go," she yelled. A few people had started to look at us but I pretty much ignored them.

"Lydia Edith Bennett, you will come with me right now," I whispered fiercely. "I will drag you out of here if I have to." She didn't say anything and started to sway. I jumped to keep her from falling.

"I don't feel so good," she muttered and promptly puked all over the floor.

"Oh gosh, Lydia," I said and, with Kitty's help, practically carried her toward the door. I didn't check to see if Jane was following us. If she wasn't, I'd come back for her after dropping Lydia safely at home.

"That's what you get when you invite rabble like that to a party," I heard Caroline sneer. I took a deep breath. It wouldn't do any good to say anything. Thanksgiving break was only a few weeks away. A few more weeks, that's all.

"Thanks for inviting us, Charles," Jane said. "It was really nice. I'll see you on Monday." A few minutes later, we were driving home in silence. I was angry and frustrated. Why was Lydia so stupid? Couldn't she just behave? She was currently snoring on Kitty's shoulder.

"Quick," I said, as we pulled into the driveway. "Get her inside before anyone notices." It a matter of seconds, we got her out of the car, into the house, and onto her bed. After a night like this one, I decided I'd cancel my voice lessons for the next morning.


	13. Chapter 13

AN: Hey there (sheepish smile). I know it's been a while since I've updated and I feel super bad. My excuse is that I have spring break at the moment and travelling equals no internet. Please forgive me and review review review!

Chapter Thirteen

The next morning I woke up, refreshed. I stretched leisurely and snuggled back into my pillows, reclosing my eyes. They snapped open again when I heard something that disturbed me. I heard nothing. Not one peep from anywhere in the entire house. I quickly got out of bed and ripped my door open. The house was eerily empty. When I got the kitchen, I noticed two notes taped to the fridge. The first was from my father.

_Lizzie, the London CEO apparently wasn't finished with me yet, so I've gone back. I'll be home by Monday night at the latest. Your mother and younger sisters have gone to a concert in the city. They'll be back tonight around midnight. Mary and Jane are with you._

_Love,_

_Dad_

Not a horrible Saturday. The other not was from Mary and it was much more shocking.

_Lizzie, I've gone to a poetry slam with some kids from school. Go talk to Jane. She needs you._

_-Mary_

What did that mean? Not one to think before acting, I rushed to Jane's room. Quiet sobs greeted me. I was shocked. Jane almost never cried. She must be absolutely heart-broken over something big.

"Jane," I called.

"Go away," she said, voice muffled by the door.

"Janie, please let me in," I begged.

"I don't want to," she sobbed but I heard her shuffle toward the door. When she finally got there and unlocked it, I stared at her. Jane was always the epitome of punctuality, hygiene and, well, perfection. Right now she looked down-right horrible. Her eyes were red-rimmed from crying and filled with pain, and her hair was snarled, uncombed.

"What is it, Jane?" I asked. Her eyes filled with tears and she threw her arms around my neck, sobbing.

"He's gone," she cried. "He left and he didn't even tell me goodbye."

"Who Jane?" I inquired, although I already knew.

"Charlie," she sobbed. "Caroline told me that they had left and weren't coming back but he didn't say anything. They aren't coming back, Lizzie!" I just stroked her hair as she cried. Charles Bingley was now on my kill list. It was bad enough that he just ditched someone without any explanation but when that someone was my sister…

"Jan, I think that we need to go get some ice cream," I said. "Then we can come home and watch 'A Walk to Remember.' We can even stay in our pajamas."

"Do I have to?" she muttered.

"Yes," I said. "Come on. I'll braid your hair and then we'll go. We could invite Charlotte, too." She just nodded and I quickly set about braiding her hair. Once I was done, Jane looked more like herself but her eyes were lifeless. When I tried to call Charlotte before getting ready, she insisted that she would do it and that I needed to go get ready as well.

"You are staying in you pajamas though, right?" she asked. I smiled slightly and nodded.

"I just have to throw my hair up into a ponytail, then we can go pick up Charlotte."

"Okay," she said. "I'll go call her." She walked slowly toward the kitchen. That was so like Jane. Have a good cry and then hide the hurt by doing things for other people. If I didn't love her so much, I'd probably hate that she was so perfect. Soon Charlotte, Jane and I were all piled into the car. I had put on my Winnie the Pooh slippers instead of actually shoes and Jane had simply put a jacket on over her camisole. We went to the nearest Wal-Mart and bought a pint of ice cream. Then we went home and put in "A Walk to Remember."

Charlotte and broke out all the stops for this thing. We had the ice cream and every sad movie known to man. We planned on watching all of them. By the time Mary got home, we were done with the ice cream and were sobbing while watching "Les Miserables." Anne Hathaway had just cut her beautiful long hair and was singing "I Dreamed a Dream." For your information, I did sing along. We failed to convince Mary to join us but we stilled stayed up until almost midnight crying, laughing, and eating anything remotely sweet in the house.

Eventually, Charlotte was forced to go home. She gave Jane a huge hug and punched my shoulder (yes, she's always been that abusive), then she left. Jane and I started to get ready for bed but were interrupted by someone knocking on the door and the phone ringing.

"I get the phone, you get the door?" I asked Jane. She nodded and made her way to the door. I know what you're thinking. Who's stupid enough to open the door at one o'clock in the morning? This is Meryton, people! The closest we've gotten to a threat was the Johnson girl's rabid bunny. I answered the phone and was about to say hello when my mother's voice screeched over speaker.

"Billy Collins will be there any minute!" she said. "If this is Lizzie, you will be nice to him."

"Hi, Mom," I said. "How's the city?"

"Elizabeth Jennifer Bennett, you will be kind and courteous to Billy," she ordered. "I'll be home in ten minutes." Then she hung up. Just like that.

"Lizzie, Collins is at the door," Jane whispered. "He wants to talk to you."

I groaned. "What is he doing here at one in the morning?" Jane shrugged and I groaned again. I moved in the entryway, where Collins was standing. He lit up when he saw me.

"Hello, Elizabeth," he greeted me. "How are you?"

"I'm fine," I replied cautiously. "What's going on?"

"I have a very important question to ask you," he informed me. "Could we go sit down?" I motioned for him to follow me and soon we were seated on the couches in the front room.

"So what do you need?" I asked, hoping to get this over with quickly.

"I was going to wait until Monday to do this," he told me, "but after seeing you today at Wal-Mart, I knew I couldn't wait." I blanched at that. I had been hoping nobody had seen me. Suddenly, he was in front of me, kneeling on one knee. Oh no. "Elizabeth, will you please consent to make me the happiest of men and be my wife?"

"What!" I exclaimed. "Collins…"

"I love you, Lizzie," he interrupted. "I know you're not very rich but I think my family will approve."

"I'm only seventeen," I told him. "I'm not ready…"

"You'll be graduated soon though," he cut in again. "We can have a June wedding. Besides, once I secure a job with Catherin Bourgh, we will want for nothing. You could even keep singing if you wanted to."

"Collins, i'm not ready to get married."

"We've been dating for a really long time," he said. "Since sophomore year, in fact. If you aren't ready now, you'll never be ready."

"I was still dating Paul sophomore year!"

Collins made a face. "Yes, about that. You'll have to stop seeing those…rodeo people. In fact, you should just get rid of your horse now. I can't stand the ugly beasts and once we're married, I won't tolerate them."

"Stop!" I shouted. "Collins, I don't want to marry you or anybody else at the moment. You're a really nice guy but I don't think you could make me happy and I know that I couldn't make you happy."

He just smiled. "Lizzie, I know that you're playing hard to get." I opened my mouth to protest but he kept going. "You aren't rich and your sister is more beautiful than you. I can almost guarantee that you won't get such a good offer again." I stared at him in outrage.

"Get out of my house," I hissed.

"But I love you," he spluttered.

"Goodbye," I said and opened the door for him. My mother and Kitty and Lydia stood on the other side.

"Fine," he sniffed and stormed out of the house.

"No wait!" my mother yelled. "Billy, come back!" But he was gone. Lydia and Kitty were laughing so hard, they were leaning against the doorframe.

"Guys, it's not that funny," I said.

"Yes it is," Lydia gasped. "What's funnier is how Mom is going react."

"Go to bed," I told them. After they went to their shared room, my mom burst into the house.

"How could you!" she exclaimed. "If you would have just agreed to be his girlfriend, Jane wouldn't be in the situation she's in!"

"First of all, how is that my fault?" I demanded. "Secondly, he didn't want me as his girlfriend. He proposed." She was silent for a long time.

"HE PROPOSED!" she screamed. "And you said no? You've ruined us. We could have been set for life and you turned him down. Call him right now and agreed to marry him."

"No," I said. "You can't make me." She was turning beet red now.

"You will marry him!" she shouted. "I'll call your father right now. He'll make you marry him." She scurried away to the kitchen and I heard her dial the phone. I sighed and went to my bedroom. She couldn't make me marry that ridiculous boy. A few minutes later, she entered my room, threw the phone at me and left. To go listen on the other landline no doubt.

"Hello," I said cautiously.

"So I hear you got a marriage proposal," my father's voice greeted me. I sighed in relief.

"I won't marry him," I said firmly. "She cannot make me."

"Your mom wants me to force you to apologize and agree," he said with a chuckle. "She should know that those words have never been a part of your vocabulary. I told her that I would talk to you and I will. Tell me why you won't marry him."

"He's a nice guy and all," I told him, "but I don't love him and I'm not ready to be married. I want to live my life before I settle down. I won't change my mind just because my mother wants me to."

"That is exactly what I wanted to hear," Dad said. "Mom says she'll never speak to you again if you don't marry him. Well, I will abandon you to your mother if you do."

"No!" I heard my mother cry. Yep. She was listening.

"Thank you, Dad!" I exclaimed. "Have fun in London. I'll see you when you get home. I love you."

"I love you too, Lizziebits," he replied. "Good night." I went to sleep with a smile on my face.


	14. Chapter 14

AN: Please don't hate me! I know I haven't updated in a while but I've super busy and I had writer's block. I have also decided that if I don't get a lot of reviews, I make you wait a month for the next update. MWhahahaha. That's right. I'm evil :). So please, read and review.

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Chapter Fourteen

Jane, Mary, and I went to church alone on Sunday. My mother got a "migraine" and I just didn't want to force Lydia and Kitty to come. I got a few stares from Collins's friends but other than that, nobody really said anything. Monday was a different story although the talk wasn't about me. It was about Charlotte. She had agreed to date Collins and they were going to Kent College after Christmas break.

"Charlotte, are you insane?" I exclaimed when I had the chance right before lunch.

"Lizzie, you know I've never been a romantic," Charlotte replied. "I'm not pretty like you and Jane, and I'm not rich. Billy isn't a bad guy and Kent will be just a good of college as Rosings would have been."

"But Charlotte he's..." I tried to explain it. "He's so… ridiculous!"

"Stop it, Lizzie," Charlotte scolded. "Just because you didn't like him doesn't mean everyone thinks the same." I had never thought about it like that before, but she was right. The world certainly didn't revolve around me.

"If you truly like him and are content with your decision, then I will not make a single comment," I told her and then added, "for now." Charlotte laughed and we walked towards the lunch room arm in arm. It was the first day back at school the Terrible Trio had left. Jane was sitting at our normal table but it was like a part of her was missing. The next time I saw Charles Bingley…

That entire week whispers followed Charlotte and Jane around which meant they also followed me around. The fuss had died down by Thanksgiving break but Jane was still broken. Charlotte and I were preparing to leave for Vermont but we spent every moment we could keeping Jane occupied. Thanksgiving was a wonderful respite for all of us. Aunt Maddy and Uncle Eddie paid us surprise visit, much to my delight, and Dad made ready the wishbone. It had always been our tradition because no one else seemed interested in it. That year, I made a list of everything I was thankful for. It was long because I was grateful for all the little things in my life. Lydia and Kitty had made fun of me for it but I was really happy that socks were in my life. What would we do without socks? Our shoes would smell really gross and our toes would be cold. Anyway, back to Thanksgiving. My mother was still mad at me for turning down Collins but she was talking to me again. Lucky me.

"What's going one with Jane?" Maddy asked me one night.

"She was dating this guy," I started and promptly told her the entire story.

"Would she want to visit us during Christmas break?" Maddy inquired.

"I think she'd love that," I said. "I'm leaving the second week of the break for Vermont, so she'd be all alone. Besides, I think that Charles lives in California. Maybe she'll get the chance to see him." The arraignments were soon made and it was decided. Jane would be visiting them in California once Christmas break was underway. I would be headed to Vermont the next week. My poor father, trapped in a house with only Mary, Kitty, Lydia, and Mom as company for the entire winter. Although I was glad it wasn't me. None of us would get out alive it that was the case.

And so the preparation began. My room was as empty and barren as Jane's eyes were by December. A few weeks before, she had heard from Caroline again. Turns out they were staying in California, quite close to where Maddy and Eddie lived. I held out the hope that they would be reunited. My father and I are great believers that what is meant to happen will happen. I knew without a doubt that somehow, everything would work out. Nevertheless, until Charles apologized he was still pretty high up there on my kill list.

Life wasn't all that great for me either those few weeks before Christmas break. I hadn't heard from George since the Terrible Trio had left. He was there in class and stuff, but he didn't acknowledge me at all. It didn't bother me all that much until I saw him kissing Mary King outside of Phillips. He broke away and saw me staring at him. She didn't notice me but he blanched slightly. That was the day I realized that I never really had romantic feelings for George. He was my friend and I hoped he would stay that way. I gave him a big smile to let him know there were no hard feelings. He looked confused but Mary soon dragged him away. I felt lighter than I had for a long time.

Finally, it was time for me to go to Vermont. Jane had left but we talked every night. She still hadn't seen Charles but I assured her that once she let him know that she was in town, he'd call her. On a cold Thursday morning, my dad and I stuffed all my belongings into my car. Mary came with me in my car while Dad drove by himself behind us. Mary and I had become closer since the Halloween party. She never really had anyone to talk to. You might believe that the middle child myth is completely untrue but then you've never met a middle child.

We sang along to the radio as we drove but she soon fell asleep, leaving me to my thoughts. The farther I got from home, the better I felt. I knew that I was ready for this and it was where I needed to be. Sure it wasn't the crème de la crème of actual education schools but it gave even Julliard a run for its money when it came to music.

When the school actually came into sight, I was slightly put off. It was beautiful in its own right but it was a forced and gaudy beauty. I much preferred the natural and demure look of Longbourne College back home in Meryton. Actually, only one thing kept me from going there. It was only fifteen minutes from where I lived. I could literally walk there. For the sake of my sanity, I chose somewhere far enough away to give me some distance but I could still visit when I wanted to.

It took us a while to find my apartment but eventually I was all unpacked and too soon, I was hugging Dad and Mary goodbye. They were both tearful but I was outright sobbing. I know I'm full of contradictions but it's how my mind works. Deal with it. My roommates, Terryn and Samantha, were sweet girls who reminded me a little of Jane and Charlotte. Hopefully that would make me less homesick, not more. Another benefit of this campus was that, the lesser known Kent College was only a few miles away. Charlotte wouldn't be an estranged friend after all.

Luckily for me, classes didn't start until the following Monday so I had the chance to get settled and work on finding a job. I was had almost no money for food but I had lots of experience with managing money. The Saturday after I arrived, Sam and Terryn dragged me to the local college hub. We hit on guys, they hit on us, and then we went home. I hadn't had that much fun since I put a fake mouse in Lydia salad (and don't worry. She forgave me after I put the same mouse into Kitty's shoe). It was nice to just let go and be a normal teenager again. No Charles drama. No Darcy drama. Hmm…he even ruins alliteration. How is that even possible?!

Anyway, back to school. It was difficult and kept me super busy but I suppose that's what I wanted in the first place. I got along fine although not have a 4.0 for the first time in my life wasn't exactly what I'd call fun. The closer I got to April, the more excited I became. P.S. I found out that Catherine Bourgh was also a major contributor to Rosings and Kent. Quite a coincidence, huh? I blame Karma.

Spring Break was fast approaching and Helen called me a few weeks in advance to warn me that on April 12th I was meeting the famous Catherine Bourgh. I practiced in all my free time after that. Terryn and Sam finally got so sick of my singing that they forced me to go play in the park that Kent and Rosings shared. I got fifteen bucks from some guy who had a tongue piercing—don't ask how I know that.

Charlotte would visit me a lot but I usually avoided visiting her. The one time I did, I had caught her and Collins swapping spit. Talk about disgusting and scarring for life. There are some things that I just don't need to see. Kent was beautiful and Charlotte seemed happy there. I couldn't begrudge her this. She may not love Collins but she enjoyed his company and the campus was gorgeous, especially at night when the stars were bright and the moon made the park look ethereal. I don't sleep well, by the way.

Despite what she told me, Jane wasn't doing well at all. Finally, she admitted it to me over a distraught phone call. She called me the day before my meeting sobbing. It took me a good ten minutes to get her calmed down enough to hear what she was saying.

"He blocked my number, Lizzie," she wept. "He isn't just ignoring my texts. He's blocked me from his phone. I can't call him, text him, or anything. I hate him!"

"No you don't," I murmured, wishing I could be there I hug her. "You love him more than anything and that's why it hurts so badly."

"Lizzie, what did I do wrong?" she sobbed. "Why did he stop loving me? I love him so much."

"Shh, Janie," I soothed. "It's going to be okay. I promise."

"I hate life. I wish it would just end," she told me. "Why can't it just end?"

"I feel that way sometimes too. Then I remember chocolate ice cream and cheesy romance movies," I said. She chuckled wetly.

"You always know how to make me laugh," she said. "I'm going to get over him. Charles Bingley will never hurt me again."

"Good," I replied. "But just remember that I will personally kick his butt the next time I see him."

"Thanks, Lizzie," she chuckled. "Good luck tomorrow."

"Jane Bennett, don't you dare start thinking about other people! I want you to focus on you and your anger for once. Find a dart board and print out that picture of Charles that I know you have on your phone. Once it's printed delete it and commence to throw sharp projectiles at pretty boy's face."

"Good night, Lizzie."

"Fine, ignore my well thought out plan. Good night, Jane. I love you. I'll be home tomorrow so just hold on until then."

"I love you too." Yep, she was my rock. Without Jane, I wouldn't have been able to face the intimidating Catherine Bourgh.

The next morning, I was on my way to New York City so I could get to the studio by noon. Helen was waiting for me outside and gave me an encouraging smile as we walked inside together. The recording studio was on the eighth floor so I stood in an elevator surrounded by some of the best producers, singers, and songwriters in the business. Yep, I was absolutely terrified. Helen gave my hand a reassuring squeeze and we got out the elevator. The doorway was the first one to the left of the elevator, so I didn't have any time to prepare myself. Helen knocked and a shrill, British voice called, "Enter."

"I'm not sure why you stand on so much ceremony, Catherine," Helen said, walking confidently into the room. I took a deep breath, squared my shoulders, and followed with my head held high.

"Helen, please introduce me to your student," the grand lady said stiffly. Her gray hair was pulled back into a severe bun and her flashing blue eyes glinted dangerously in the light. Next to her, a pale girl with black hair and hazel eyes sat with her eyes downcast. She looked thin and sickly. I was worried that she would blow away if someone so much as breathed on her.

"This is Lizzie Bennett," Helen replied. "Perhaps you should introduce yourself as well."

"She knows who I am," Catherin scoffed. "This is my foster daughter, Anne."

"It's nice to meet both of you," I smiled. Anne looked up sharply. It seemed she wasn't used to be addressed. I smiled brightly at her and received a small smile in return.

"Now Miss Bennett, let's hear if you have even a sliver of talent," Catherine said, gesturing toward the recording booth. She was staring down her nose at me and my courage rose. I entered the studio and put on the head phones. Helen had already sent a recording of my guitar chords and the first strains of one my songs came on over the headphones. After a deep breath, I opened my mouth and sang. I don't remember much about it. I sang almost every song that I had ever written and a few by other artists. The last song I sang was my venting song. To put the right amount of emotion into this, I thought back to Jane's heartbreak and how much I wanted to make Charles Bingley suffer. When I looked up, I gasped in shocked. The universe hates me. Helen was beaming, Anne looked bemused, and Catherine was indifferent. Another man was with them as well. He was handsome but a little old for me and wouldn't you know it; Darcy was there too! Oh yeah. My day just kept on getting better and better.


	15. Chapter 15

AN: So I lied in my author's note in the last chapter. I started writing and got on a role, so I finished this chapter. I figured since I made you guys wait for the last on, I'd let you have two chapter within two days. But I'm serious about the whole review thing. They can be good or bad. I just want 'em. Thanks for all you who are still with me. I love you guys!

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Chapter Fifteen

I walked out of the recording room in a daze. Why the heck was Darcy here? Wasn't he in California with Charles? And why was he staring at me! Grr…just because he was Helen and Catherine's nephew didn't give him the right to waltz in here and watch my performance.

"That was great," Helen smiled as I closed the door of the both.

"She did fine," Catherine agreed. "Maybe you'll be able to make it. You'll have to color and cut your hair of course. And whiten your teeth."

"I like my hair the way it is actually," I told her. A room of awed stares greeted my comment.  
"Miss Bennett, I am the one who will be in charge of your musical career," Catherine huffed. "I am entitled to have a say in this matter."

"Mrs. Bourgh," I said, "with all due respect, if people don't like me as me, I don't want to have a musical career. Your opinion is very welcome and I will definitely consider it when I make my decisions but they are _my_ decisions."

"Very well, Miss Bennett," she conceded. "You do indeed have talent but you need to practice more. How many hours do you spend on technique a week?"

"About an hour a day on technique," I said. "But whenever I sing in the car or around my apartment I'm aware of what I'm doing."

"Make it two hours from now on," she ordered me. "We shall meet again in a few weeks." Her tone of dismissal brooked no opposition.

"Goodbye Mrs. Bourgh," I said. "Goodbye Anne." I gave the girl another bright smile and looked over Helen to make sure I was good to leave.

"I'll see you soon, Lizzie," she smiled. "Go enjoy your spring break."

"Thanks, Helen," I said. I nodded to Darcy and his companion as I walked out the door. I was about to get into the elevator when a voice stopped me.

"Wait," Darcy's friend—still hard to wrap my head around. Darcy actually has friends—called to me.

"Can I help you?" I asked curiously.

"I was just going to tell you how amazing you did in there," he said. "Nobody but my mother really complimented and you needed to know that you're awesome."

"Thank you…" I didn't know his name but I figured he was Helen's youngest son, Richard.

"Richard Matlock at your service," he said with an exaggerated bow. I laughed when he grabbed my hand and placed a kiss on it.

"Well aren't you charming," I smiled. "It's unfortunate that you're an old man."

"Old man!" he repeated in a false outrage. "I'll have you know that I'm only twenty-four."

"Practically ancient," I teased. "It was nice to meet you, Richard. Thank you for your compliment."

"Let me ride down with you," he offered. "I'll walk you to your car."

"That's really nice of you," I told him, smiling.

"Did you know that your eyes change color?" he asked.

"No I didn't," I replied, stepping into the elevator. He followed.

"When you're determined they're a dark blue but they turn lighter when you laugh," he informed me.

"How would you know?" I countered impertinently.

"I'm a studier of all things beautiful," he said with a wink. I laughed lightly and moved to press the button that would take me down to the lobby.

"Hold the elevator," a voice called. I knew exactly who it was and resisted the urge to close the door as fast I could. But I'm a nice person so I didn't do that…I just thought about it. Darcy quickly entered the small box and then pressed the button for me. I bit down the huff that was dying to break free. Pushing the button was my favorite part! Yeah, I know. I'm juvenile. We stood in awkward silence for a while until Richard nudged Darcy. They exchanged a glance and Darcy cleared his throat.

"How's your family?" he asked me. I shot him a glance of disbelief. Did he really want me to answer that question?

"They're okay," I said. "Jane was in California recently. Did you see her?"

"California's a big place," he replied and I fought the urge to face palm myself…or him.

"My aunt and uncle live in a town just outside of L.A.," I told him.

"Nope," he said simply and I clenched my teeth. The elevator dinged and I practically ran out of that confining little box.

"Bye Richard," I called over my shoulder. "Bye Darcy." Then I was gone.

After that, I ran into Darcy everywhere. He was even at Rosings occasionally but I mostly just saw him at grocery stores and parks when I went running. Spring break ended as did Jane's complete despair but there still wasn't any light in her eyes. I returned to Rosings but my heart wasn't in the music anymore, especially not after having my first taste of the political side of the music business. I wasn't willing to change myself just to please them. A few weeks after my first meeting with Bourgh Producers, I was called back in. Helen wasn't there this time and before I knew it, I was agreeing to perform at a party that offered little pay and even less recognition. I was starting to rethink my decision to make music my career. It was a shaky endeavor at best.

That next Friday, I was dressed up to the nines for a simple dinner party that Bourgh was holding for a few of her closest employees. Luckily, I wouldn't be all alone. Collins and, because they were a package deal now, Charlotte would be there. As would Richard…and Darcy. Only if I got desperate. Ugh, this was going to be a painful experience. Turns out, I was right.

I arrived early so that Catherine's "specialist" could attack my face. After that, I was sent to the hair dresser and had practically same treatment. The lady tried to put steaks of purple in my hair but I stopped her just in time. Finally, I was considered ready. I strode up the steps of the stage and took my stop at the center. When I said a few employees, I meant like seventy-five. The small room was packed. Great.

I nodded to my piano player and they played to beginning chords of Sara Bareilles's "Love Song." Most of the people listen politely while others ignored me and talked over me. I sang on and by the time I had put in my hours, I was pretty exhausted. I got off the stage and went in search of Charlotte. Then I caught her making out with Collins and I went to find Richard. Unfortunately, he was standing with Darcy. Collins and Charlotte swapping spit or Darcy? You have no idea how hard that choice actually was.

"That was great Lizzie," Richard told me.

"Thanks," I smiled. Darcy stared annoyingly.

"So tell me," Richard said slyly, with a glance at Darcy, "do you have anything that I could tease my cousin about?"

"I'm not sure you want to hear what he was like in Meryton," I said lightly.

"Oh now you have to tell me."

"Very well," I said trying to appear serious, "but remember that you asked for it. I first met Darcy at a school dance. He stood in the corner the entire time glowering at nobody in particular." Richard and I laughed while Darcy looked slightly affronted.

"It was our first night in town," Darcy protested. "I didn't know anybody."

"That's kind of the point of a school dance," I said.

"I'm not good at talking to strangers."

I turned to Richard. "Why is that? Why does a twenty year old adult have trouble talking to strangers?"

"Because he doesn't want to have to remember their names," Richard chuckled, giving Darcy a good natured nudge.

"Richard," Catherine called. "Come here. I need you." He sighed but said goodbye and headed over to his aunt. I turned as if to walk away as well but Darcy stopped me.

"I can't think of things to talk about when I've never met them," he told me, attempting to defend himself.

"Your aunt is constantly telling me to practice more," I replied. "Maybe you should take her advice." The day after the party, Darcy showed up at my door. Well actually, Charlotte's door. My apartment was being fumigated so I had to find a place to stay. Charlotte's seemed like to only alternative. Although, I did tell her that if she and Collins didn't keep it on the down low with the kissing, I would sleep in a cardboard box in an alleyway. Anyway, Darcy showed up and being the nice person that I am, I invited him to come in and sit down. He agreed and soon we were sitting across from each other in Charlotte's little front room. On the awkward scale, it was about an eleven. Then he just left the minute Charlotte opened to door. Weird, right? Charlotte still thought he liked me but seriously? That guy didn't like anyone.

It happened again a few days later but it was a little less awkward this time. He actually deigned to speak to me although it sounded strained. We talked about the weather, walking, Charlotte's apartment, and the distance from home. He thought it was nice to be so close to her family.

"Close!" I exclaimed. "It's a day's drive to get here. With gas prices sky high, I wouldn't call it close."

"A day's drive is nothing if you're prepared," he said. "You wouldn't want to always be in Meryton."

"No," I said, pondering for a moment. "That's one of the reasons I went here. It's far enough away I can't run home every day but close enough that if I had an emergency, I could get there quickly." He opened his mouth as if to comment but then Charlotte and Collins returned from their date and he left.

On the last day I'd have to stay at Charlotte's, I was walking through the park when I met up with Richard. We decided to walk together and had a pleasant enough chat. That is until he brought up Darcy.

"I can tell you don't exactly like him," he said, "but despite being a bit uptight, he's a really good guy."

"Richard, he's your family," I told him. "You're required to say that."

"Seriously hear me out," Richard said. "He's got this friend Charles Bingley who, despite being a great guy, falls into love a little too easily. Well Darcy recently saved Charles for getting into a more serious relationship with a girl he met in New York." I stopped dead in my tracks. He _what_!? Richard was looking at me weirdly so I took a calming breath.

"Did he say why?" I asked through clenched teeth.

"Something about her family and her being a gold digger. Charles was thinking about marrying this girl but Darcy talked him out of it. See, he's a loyal friend."

"Yeah, like a dog," I snarled. _Who deserves to be kicked,_ I added mentally.

Richard laughed. "I guess you could put it like that. That girl was bad news and Darcy prevented it from happening."

"Richard, I just remembered that I left the stove on back at Charlotte's place," I said. "I'll talk to you later, okay?"

"See you, Lizzie," he called as I hurriedly walked away. When I got back, I slammed the door.

"Charlotte, I'm going to break something," I shouted. "If you don't want it broken, tell me now and I'll avoid it."

"Everything but that ugly potted plant my mom sent," she yelled back. I promptly picked it and smashed it to the ground. Who said violence doesn't make anything better? I felt a whole lot better.

"That was fun," I said as Charlotte leaned against the door jam.

"Want to tell me what happened?" she asked.

"Only if you have more things to break," I answered with a smile.

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REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW! Replay this like a mantra in your head. That is **if** you want a new chapter before next month ;) I've got it all written and everything. If that doesn't induce you into reviewing, let me drop a hint. It's Darcy's first proposal. Yep that's right. I'm totally bribing you. Now get to reviewing. 3


	16. Chapter 16

An: Hey there, loyal readers. See that wasn't all that hard. Although a few of them could have been a little more constructive. Yes, I'm talking to you Chew95 ;). Anyway, thanks so much for your compliments. And a special shout out to Honey4me and miss nobody for being the ones to get you this chapter. Without further ado, here it is folks! The Disastrous Darcy Declaration! And people say Darcy ruins alliteration :)

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Chapter Sixteen

That night I couldn't sleep again so I went for a walk. It was around midnight and the campus was dark. I was sitting on a swing in a park that connected Rosings and Kent, thinking about what Richard had told me earlier. Darcy convinced Charles to leave! Although, some of the blame had to be put on Caroline. She was just as evil as Darcy. My kill list was steadily growing. Charles was still on there but Darcy had taken up spots one through eleven. Why was it any of his business anyway?

"Elizabeth," a baritone voice said from behind me. I got off the swing and turned around to see Darcy standing there. Ha! Maybe the universe hated him too because it obviously wanted him to die.

"This really isn't the best time," I said, eyes flashing. Well, I actually only got to the third word before he took two long steps toward me and crushed his lips to mine. To say I was shocked would be an understatement. By the time I could even think about slapping him, he had already pulled away slightly. I struggled to get away but he just held me tighter and rested his head against mine.

"I've wanted to do that for so long," he whispered. "I've tried so hard to stop loving you. Even when I think about your ridiculous family and horrid little sisters, I can't stop loving you. You're strange, silly, and impulsive but I love you. It kills me to walk away from you and I won't do it anymore." This time I successfully pulled away and put the swing set in between us.

"I would say that it's not you it's me," I told him scathingly, "but that would be a lie; it is you. I'm sorry that you have been in pain but I'm sure that my "ridiculous" family and "horrid" sisters will help you get over it."

"Is this all you have to say?" he demanded. "I just laid my heart at your feet and this is how you respond."

"What do you want me to do? Say it back?" I inquired. "It wouldn't be true and I don't lie to people. Do you want me to marry you? I've already had one proposal this year and I don't want another one, buddy."

"Couldn't you be a little considerate?" he snapped. "This was hard for me."

"I'm sure it was," I said sarcastically. "Fitzwilliam Darcy fell in love with a poor girl from a small town nobody's ever heard of. Gasp! The world's coming to an end!"

"You are so infuriating," he growled.

"So now I'm silly, strange, impulsive, _and_ infuriating?" I asked. "Wow, you must really be stupid to fall in love with me. Although, that is sort of what you implied in that entire little speech of yours."

"I did no such thing!"

"Think back a little and replay those words in your head," I said. "Besides, why would I want to be in a relationship with someone who doesn't even find me pretty? I'm sure Charles already told you but I've already been in one of those too and I'm not looking to repeat the experience."

"I'm nothing like that," he snarled.

"You insulted my family and me while telling me that you loved me!"

"I would never hurt you like he did!"

"You'd just hurt anyone else I cared about," I retorted and saw, with pleasure, his face paled slightly. "Yeah, that's right. I know exactly what you did to Charles and Jane. Don't deny that you separated two people who were in love."

"I don't want to," he replied angrily. "Jane didn't love him and she was just in it for the money."

"You…you…" I stuttered, trying to find the worst non-swear word I could. "You hypocritical, arrogant, big-headed, selfish, chauvinistic moron! How dare you ruin my sister's and your friend's happiness! She was heart-broken when he left. Heart-broken, Darcy! Do you know what that entails? She cried herself to sleep for month. I should have guessed you were the cause of something that so wholly _destroyed_ her. And yet you still have the gall to stand here and tell me that you love me? You're just as bad as George said you were."

"And what exactly did George say?" he inquired, dangerously quiet as he took a step closer to me. If I wasn't so pissed off, I might be intimidated.

"That you fired his mom and tore him and your sister apart," I said. "Can you just not stand anyone else to have happiness? Is that it?"

"That's a lie," he growled.

"Prove it," I taunted. "You've given me no reason to trust you. All you've ever been is a jerk to me and my family while George actually attempted to make a good impression. Heck, even my manipulative mother doesn't like you."

"I don't have to stand here and take this," he said.

"Then go!" I shouted. "I didn't want you here in the first place."

"And you say that I'm the arrogant one," he scoffed. "If I had flattered you and acted like your family didn't _disgust_ me, perhaps you could have overlooked everything else. Maybe _you_ would have fallen in love with _me_."

"Fallen in love with you?" I repeated with a humorless laugh. "From the very beginning, I hated you. Every experience afterwards just showed me how deeply rooted that hate was. You, Fitzwilliam Darcy, are the _last_ person I could _ever_ fall in love with."

"I'm glad I know where you stand," he said as he glared at me. "Goodbye, Elizabeth." I stayed there for a long time just staring at nothing. Why did it feel like I just made a really big mistake?

* * *

I was awoken the next morning by a manic pounding on my door. The time was ungodly but I was glad for the interruption. Why on Earth was I dreaming about kissing Darcy? Let's just say it didn't make my mood any better. The pounding on the door matched the pounding in my head. I grumbled, dragged myself out of bed, and ripped open the door to glare at the person on the other side.

"Lizzie, you've got to come downstairs right now," Charlotte said.

"Why?" I groused, rubbing my eyes.

"Darcy is down there waiting for you."

"He's what!?" I shouted and accidentally hit my head on the doorframe.

"Shh!" Charlotte hissed. "He can hear you. He's been here for ten minutes."

"Tell him to go away."

"I told him you were still asleep but he said it was urgent that he spoke to you. What's all this about?"

"I might work up the guts to tell you one day," I groaned and glanced at myself in the mirror. I looked horrible but when he comes to a girl's apartment at seven in the morning, this is what he gets. I threw my hair up into a quick, messy ponytail and trudged down the stairs in my pajama pants, holey and pain-smattered t-shirt, and Winnie the Pooh slippers. The impeccably (aka annoyingly) dressed Darcy standing in the middle of Charlotte's front room. He did a double take upon seeing me but I didn't really care.

"Hello, Elizabeth," he greeted me.

"Hey," I said. "What exactly are you doing here at seven o'clock?"

"I'm leaving today but I came to give you this," he said and handed me a letter. "Please just…read it." Figuring it was the least I could do, I nodded. "Thank you," he told me. "Goodbye."

"Bye," I replied, taking the letter. Then he was gone and I was free to go back to bed. Funny how now I didn't want to.

"What the heck was that about?" Charlotte asked, coming into the room. "Did he come to apologize about Jane?"

"I don't really know," I said, hiding the letter and ignoring her second question. "Fitzwilliam Darcy's mind will forever be a mystery to me. What I do know is that I need to go back to bed and you need to go to class." She groaned but gave me one last hug before heading off to class. Once I had seen her car drive away, I ran upstairs to my room and ripped the letter open. What else did he have to say to me? If he tried to convince me again to be his…whatever he wanted me to be—I don't exactly remember what he had said—it was going through the paper shredder.

_Dear Elizabeth,_

_Don't worry. This isn't one of those love letters you're so fond of. I'm simply going to defend myself against your accusations. You said once that nobody wants their lies immortalized on paper so I hope that by hand writing this, you'll see I'm telling the truth. Did I separate Jane and Charles? Yes, I did. Charles falls in love easily, so Caro and I have to be there to protect him from gold-diggers. Your mother was really obvious when it came to her expectations. Jane seemed like the sort of the girl that's easily persuaded by authority figures…_

I snorted at this. Who did he think he was? He didn't even know Jane. Mom had absolutely no sway on Jane and me. Mary, Kitty, and Lydia on the other hand…

_Your little sister is a smoker and a drinker, despite it being illegal _(Once again I snorted. She was a freshman! Freshman=stupid). _All of your sisters' behaviors at the Halloween party were appalling. That was when Caro and I decided that Charles needed to be removed from the situation. He was convinced that he loved Jane and that she loved him back. I disagreed and told him so. Caro and I even convinced him to block her number from his phone. That's probably the only thing I regret about this, but what's done is done. That is all I have to say about this._

_ Then there's the matter of George Wickham. Yes, I did separate him and Georgie but I'll get into that later. I did not fire his mother because his mother quit. She was dying of cancer and said she couldn't work anymore. I agreed to let her go but I anonymously paid all her bills—medical or otherwise—until she died. By that time, George was already eighteen but he had dropped out of high school at sixteen. I helped him sober up and gave him a job at Pemberley University in the mail room, and made him take classes. At first, he did fine. Then Georgiana came to visit me. She met him in the cafeteria with my uncle's secretary, Mrs. Younge. Wickham convinced Younge that he and Georgiana were in love. She helped him lure Georgie to a hotel where he got her drunk and tried to…_ (A part was scribbled out) _well you can fill in the blanks. I thank God every day that I got there in time. Georgie was only fifteen and Wickham was almost twenty-one…_

I dropped the letter and reached for the garbage can which I promptly puked into. I had dated a pedophile! Oh my gosh, I had almost _kissed_ a pedophile! Oh, this was not something I was going to get over anytime soon. I knew I had to finish the letter but I kept the trash can close…just in case.

_ After I found them, I told Wickham to get lost unless he wanted me to call the cops. I see now that I should have done just that. I just hope that he never gets the chance to do it again. That was the last time I saw him until I went to Meryton. Maybe now you can understand why I hate him so much. As for being like Paul, I'd just like to point out that I'm nothing like him. I doubt this will change anything, but I was the one who sent Charles to find you. After talking to Paul for a few minutes, I realized he was just another Wickham. I didn't want you to be hurt the way Georgiana was. I'm sorry if that offends you, but I was worried for you safety. These weren't the only things you accused me of but I'm not ready to face the rest. Goodbye, Elizabeth. God bless you._

_ Fitzwilliam Darcy_

…How could I have been so wrong? Yes, he still needed to learn some humility and I wasn't anywhere near ready to forgive him for separating Jane and Charles but now I knew that Wickham really was the liar. He had all the charm and appearance of good while Darcy had all the true decency. This required some serious thought.

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Let's keep those reviews up. How about 45 this time? Yay for us! We're goal setters!

P.s. I'm looking for a beta. If you're interested, drop me a line.


	17. Chapter 17

AN: I'm baaaaccckkkk! Thank you all for your lovely reviews. Keep 'em coming. This is a little shorter chapter and there isn't any Darcy/Lizzie action. You guys know that one part in Ms. Austen's lovely novel where it just talks about the Bennett family getting back to normal slowly but surely? Well, I don't like that part. I wanted to move the story along, so what took several chapters in Jane's lovely and everlasting words, I condensed down into a paragraph. If you have a problem with that, cry me a river, build a bridge and get over it. Just kidding. I really do care about your opinions. Now to end this horribly long Author's Note. Enjoy!

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Chapter Seventeen

I tried to get my life back to normal after that. I really did. My apartment was habitable again and I restarted class. Even my professors noticed that I wasn't doing as well but other than a few veiled comments, they didn't say anything. I threw myself into my studies after that and aced all my finals. Darcy's letter taunted me because, being the idiot that I was, it was always in the drawer of my nightstand. I had it practically memorized. Jane told me it wasn't healthy and I resisted the urge to say that neither was depression. Yes, I had told Jane everything. That is, everything but the stuff about her. I didn't think she could handle any more pain. Then she got a job at the local grocery store and started classes as Longbourne. Even though I didn't get to see her very often, I was glad that she was staying busy. I knew from experience that dwelling on it does no good.

A few weeks into summer vacation, Lydia had already started to gripe about boredom. One of Lydia's good friends, Hillary, invited Lydia to spend all summer with her and her family in Brighton, Florida. My father and I obviously thought it was a bad idea and Dad held out for a long time. Finally, it just got to be too much for him. After almost constant heckling, whining, and prodding from both Lydia and my mother, he gave in. I was riding my horse, preparing for the rodeo, when he had made this decision so by the time I actually found out, Lydia was packed.

"Why are you letting her go?" I demanded, storming into my father's office. "You're just rewarding her bad behavior. It's like giving a mouse a freaking cookie. They just want more." He just chuckled quietly.

"Leave it to my Lizzie to bring a children's book into an argument," he said to himself.

"That's the point here," I pressed. "Lydia is a _child_. A child who's ridiculous behavior gets worse every day. Soon people aren't going to want to be around the rest of us because of her."

"Did she scare off one of your crushes, Lizzie?" Dad asked. "Don't worry, dear. If he was worth it, Lydia wouldn't have stopped him from pursuing you."

I snorted. "Pursuing isn't the word I would use."

"Lizzie, if we don't let her go, she'll never get over this stage," he told me. "The house will be relatively quiet while she's gone and she can make her own choices and face the consequences down in Florida where people don't know who we are." I gave a frustrated groaned and stalked out of the study. Kitty was sobbing at the kitchen table while Lydia danced around her waving her plane ticket. She left in a week. I left in three. Jane left soon for Washington D.C. as well. It seemed this summer was just one for trips.

In the three weeks before I left, I trained with D.W. and swam in the lake occasionally. I saw George there once, flirting with a seventeen year old girl. When I remembered his real age, I was tempted to run over there and drag the poor girl away. Then she slapped him hard enough to leave a bruise and stormed away for apparently no reason. I couldn't help it and I broke into a fit of uncontrollable laughter. Luckily, I wasn't the only one, or I'd have looked really weird. I found myself wishing that Darcy was here to see George staring after the girl in dumbstruck confusion. He obviously wasn't used to rejection. I decided that I needed to meet this girl. She was lounging under an umbrella on a towel. I made way over to her and sat on the ground by her.

"If you're here to ask why I slapped that jerk, don't bother," she said, not looking at me. "I've had almost the entire populace do the same thing and I refuse to answer the question again."

"Actually, I just wanted to tell you that I wanted to do the same thing and I admire your courage." She took off her glances and stared at me.

"What did he do to you?" she asked.

"He hurt my…friend's little sister," I replied. She studied me for a moment.

"You're Elizabeth Bennett," she said matter-of-factly.

"Umm…"

"William told me about you," she told me. "The name's Rebecca Annesley. Georgiana Darcy is my best friend and William isn't such a bad guy either." I winced and she laughed slightly.

"He actually told you about that?" I asked. "I've personally been trying to repress it from my memory."

"So has he," Rebecca said. "One day he just burst into Georgie's room and told me to leave. He started raving about how I reminded him too much of some girl from New York, who he never wanted to see again. In the end, Georgie was sobbing while William yelled and I watched." I groaned and put my head in my hands. I was a horrible person.

"I got Georgiana calmed down and bothered William until he told me what was going on," she continued. "He spilled everything. I'm glad you stood up to him, by the way. Not many people have to guts to do that. Anyway, I already knew about the Wickham incident but other than Richard, I was the only outsider who knew. When William told me that he told you, I was shocked. William's a very private person and doesn't share very much. He's also painfully shy." Darcy was shy? Since when?

"Why are you in New York then?" I asked.

"Well, Georgie is a music camp her aunt is putting on and she invited me to come. I'm not musically inclined so I'm just staying at the penthouse while she sings her little heart out."

"You're a loyal friend," I decided.

"I'm the one who convinced Georgie to go to therapy, so I suppose so. When I saw Wickham, the anger just took over."

"Well, I'm glad you did it," I said. "I think we'll be good friends."

"I agree," she smiled. "I hear you're going to Lambton later this month." Seeing my look, she chuckled. "Helen isn't good at keeping secrets," she explained. "Tell you what, you give me a call and I'll introduce you to Georgiana. She's a sweet girl. You'll like her."

I shrugged. "Why not?" One the inside, I was screaming. I was going to be introduced to Darcy little sister. Yay me…

* * *

Later that same day, I was visiting Charlotte. She had gotten me to start calling her…_boyfriend_ (repressed shudder) Billy but in my mind he was still Collins. Luckily, it was just Charlotte and me that day. Of course, I also dropped my phone in the sink while helping her with the dishes. When Mr. Lucas came into the kitchen, he stared at the rice-covered kitchen.

"What happened?" he exclaimed and glanced at the table. "Why is there a phone in a bowl of rice?"

"Some idiot dropped it into a sink," I said with a glare at Charlotte.

She laughed. "That idiot was you!"

"Shh! He doesn't need to know I'm incompetent." Mr. Lucas, who was much too used to our antics by now, shook his with a small smile.

"One of these days, he's going to kick you out," I told Charlotte.

"He'd only do that to keep you away," she countered and whipped me with a towel.

"Oh, it's on," I crowed. "Bring it, _chica_!" A war ensued and escalated from towels to water from the sink but in record time, we were outside attacking each other with a hose. It was the most fun, I had had in a long time. Then I went home. The sound that accosted my ears when I arrived almost had me bolting back to my car.

"It isn't fair!" Kitty shrieked. "You'll let her go to Brighton but you won't let me go to California with Lizzie."

"Kitty, stop being so dramatic," Lydia rolled her eyes.

"Maddy and Eddie didn't invite you, sweetie," Jane said soothingly. "They're taking Lizzie on her senior trip. When you're a senior, you can have to same experience."

"But it's not fair," she pouted and burst into tears. Jane soothed her while Lydia bounded around her, chanting, "I get to go to Brighton! I get to go to Brighton."

"Girls, quiet down!" my mother yelled from her room. "I'm getting one of my migraines and you're just making it worse." Lydia stuck out her tongue in that general direction and kept on chanting.

"*Questo posto è un manicomio. Mi uccidere adesso e mi ha messo fine alle mie sofferenze*," I muttered under my breath. My dad heard me and chuckled quietly. I was just lucky he was the only one who understood what I was saying.

"Oh no," Maddy chuckled, "what's got you speaking Italian?"

"My family." It sounded like a curse word when I said it. Maddy just chuckled again and put her arm around my shoulder.

"How would you feel if we left when Jane went to D.C.?" she asked me. "Eddie needs to get back to work sooner than normal, so we'll leave Friday and we'll probably only have time to visit Lambton briefly. There's a college close that we could visit."

"I'm already going to a college," I said in confusion. "Why do I need to see another one?"

"Lizzie, what do you love about music?" she asked.

"I love the fact that it makes me free to say what I want without worrying about other people think."

"You won't be able to do that if you go into the music business. In big music, you have to sing what other people want you to. Sometimes when you turn something that you love into a profession, it isn't as enjoyable anymore. You don't sing just sing anymore, sweetheart."

"I just…" I started, then sighed. "I think you're right. Big music isn't for me."

"What's something else you love to do?" Maddy asked. "That can incorporate music into it."

"I was always really good at English," I said. "That's why I like writing my own music."

Maddy nodded. "You also understand people. Who would you connect best with? Maybe teaching would be the thing for you."

"Probably people that are about my own age," I told her. "I love little kids but if I was to teach, I don't want to have to be a mother to 22 kids a year."

"So high school," Maddy said. "Get a degree in secondary English education with an emphasis on music. Then you have some options." I contemplated for a bit and the more I thought about it, the more appealing it became. During my junior year, I tutored a lot of seniors who didn't have a hope of graduating. One of them is studying to be a doctor now. Maybe this is what I was meant to do.

"If I got my doctorate after a few years of teaching," I mused, "I could teach at a college. I could be a professor."

"I think that's a great idea," Maddy beamed. "So, is it a plan?"

"Friday it is," I smiled. "Who knows? Maybe I'll meet my soul-mate on this trip."

"Lizzie, you're testing the powers of Fate here," Maddy teased. "One of these days, it's going to come back and bite you." Yep. Always take my Aunt Maddy's advice seriously. It's usually right.

*This place is a madhouse. Kill me now and put me out of my misery*

P.s. If the translation is wrong, blame google translate. I don't speak Italian.

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Review! I won't set a limit this time, but I'll have more incentive to write if I have you lovely people urging me along.


	18. Chapter 18

AN: Well aren't you lucky. Two updates in one day. This is the not so long awaited Pemberley scene. I would leave you in suspense because I'm _usually_ that evil but I was excited for you to read this as you are. Tell me what you think. Be it good or bad. I've learned that you have to be able to take criticism but I only believe in the constructive kind so be nice. I would greatly appreciate it. Thank you for your support.

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Chapter Eighteen

That Friday, I was on a plane heading west. In a few short hours, I would be in the Lambton terminal. We would stay a week and then drive to my uncle's ranch in Bone, Idaho…where ever that was. I was filled with excitement but I was nervous. When Maddy had told me the name of the school I had visibly paled. The University of Derbyshire was the college that none other than Fitzwilliam Darcy owned. Rebecca's number was in my phone but from what I understood Georgiana was still at Helen's camp, so Rebecca was still unavailable. On the plane, I found myself pondering my life and my family's situation.

Jane had driven to Washington D.C. to visit Maddy and Eddie's only daughter, Diana. She was excited about it and to me that meant recovery. I hoped that one day she'd be able to get over him. Or if he comes back, that she'd be able to forgive him. Sigh. Perhaps I need to learn a thing or two about forgiveness. I'm not very good at it, despite what my church leaders have been telling me since I was eight years old. Forgiveness and charity. Those are two things I don't have enough of. I was pulled from my thoughts by the captain's voice over the intercom. We were landing.

Our hotel certainly wasn't the Ritz but it was comfortable and I had my own bed which usually didn't happen. We spent Saturday inside, recovering from our plane ride with a movie. The jet lag sucked but what're you going to do. Sunday was spent much like Saturday but Monday was when the fun began. We attacked all the tourist sights, but we saved the college for last. I had only caught a glimpse of it but Maddy assured me that it was worth the wait. Plus on Wednesday, we'd be driving right past the front gates. I hoped that it was as wonderful as my aunt described it.

* * *

"Do we have to go?" I whined on Thursday morning. "I really, really, _really _don't want to."

"Lizzie, I know that you aren't a big fan of the origins," Maddy said, "but that shouldn't stop us from admiring a beautiful and potential school. Now that you've switched your major to English, this is a great opportunity for you. The University of Derbyshire is the top of top for English education."

"Besides," Eddie added, "he's a twenty year old kid who owns a college. He's not going to be there and even if he is, it's a huge campus." I heaved a sigh but agreed. Even just passing the university grounds the day before had excited me…until I knew exactly what it was. Yes, there was a sign but who reads nowadays? Certainly not me.

A half hour later, we were riding the train to the outskirts of the town where the towering structures loomed over the small town that was a few miles down the road. It was more intimidating than singing in front of Catherine Bourgh.

"I'm going to be sick," I whispered to my aunt. She just chuckled and squeezed my hand. Then we entered the lion's den. The admission building was the first stop but the place was so big that we promptly got lost. Soon, we were set back on the right path and on the tour reserved for potential students. The campus was beautiful and well-keep and the buildings were well designed and welcoming. Our tour guide, Mr. Reynolds, was a cute, little old man who obviously loved the place. He had been the first employee the late Mr. Darcy had hired when they had first built the college. Mr. Reynolds told us all types of stories about the school and when he showed us a picture of George Darcy, founder of the university, he practically glowed with pride. Next to him, a blonde woman with warm brown eyes smiled at the camera. Her arm was wrapped around George. I figured this must be his wife, Anne Darcy.

"I lived in Lambton as a girl," Maddy told him. "Anne Darcy was always very influential and generous at the local charity centers. I didn't know her personally but she was well loved by everyone."

"Yes she was," a voice said from behind us.

"Lucy!" Mr. Reynolds exclaimed. (Fooled you! Nope, it wasn't Darcy.) A little white-haired woman walked up to stand beside Mr. Reynolds.

"Hello, Henry," she smiled and then turned to us. "I'm Mrs. Reynolds. I was Mr. Darcy's secretary/babysitter when Brenda Wickham had to take care of her own child. Now I run the gift shop. I heard you talking and couldn't resist joining your party."

"Who runs the college?" I blurted out, earning me a few stares. I blushed and looked down. "I mean, Darcy is so young and just barely finished high school. He can't possibly run a college."

"Do you know William?" Mrs. Reynolds asked.

"Only a little," I said. "He went to my school for a few months."

"It's true that William is much too young to run this school," Mr. Reynolds said. "His uncle, Derek Matlock, is currently running it until William is done with school. He's already well on his way to graduating but he wanted the high school experience."

"Derek Matlock?" I repeated. "As in, Helen Matlock's husband?"

"Yes," Mr. Reynolds said. "Are you the prodigy she's always telling us about? Elizabeth Bennett?"

"I wouldn't say prodigy," I replied. "I just love music."

"So does my little Georgiana," Mrs. Reynolds said wistfully. "She hasn't played her piano for so long. It makes me sad to hear the house so quiet."

"Is she home?" Eddie asked.

Mrs. Reynolds shook her head. "Her aunt is hosting some sort of summer camp. She will be home tomorrow. Speaking of which, I don't get to ask this very often but seeing as you know so many members of the family, would you like a tour of the house that started all of this. It really is beautiful."

"I've heard a lot about it," Maddy said. "I wouldn't be averse to seeing it if it would be an imposition."

"Not at all," Mrs. Reynolds said. "I love to take every chance to show off Pemberley. I'm very proud of it."

"The house is called Pemberley?" I asked as Mrs. Reynolds led us out of the building.

She nodded. "Anne always liked naming places to give them a more personal touch. She was from Derbyshire in England and there was an estate there called Pemberley. She liked the name and it stuck. The next year George started the construction of the university. The house started the whole thing though. William has done such a good job at keeping it nice for Georgiana even if he's not here very often."

"Was he well-mannered as a child?" Maddy asked.

"He was painfully shy," she chuckled, "still is, but he was always so good. He helped his mother with all her charity work until…well you know." She hastily wiped her eyes and continued, "Even though Georgie is so much younger than he is, he loves her very much." This was an entirely different picture of Darcy than the one that I had painted. Which on was real? The loving brother and son or the arrogant jerk?

"And you've been with the family since he was a child?" Eddie inquired.

"Yes," Mrs. Reynolds answered. "Anne and George hired me when William was four. I could hear him crying whenever Anne would leave from my office." We had exited the actual campus and were walking across the courtyard toward a little enclosed garden area. The roses were blooming and their fragrance enveloped us as Mrs. Reynolds opened the gate. Lemon and orange trees grew off to one side, their vibrant colors catching my eyes. It was a place that I could spend hours and hours happily roaming the orchards and gardens. The wonders were only beginning though, and I never did get the chance to explore the beautiful garden. The house wasn't a huge three-story mansion with gaudy, over-stated decorations that showed off the wealth like I expected. It was an adequate sized stone cottage with pink and yellow climbing roses framing the doorway. Elegant décor greeted us once we were inside and I gaped in awe. It was gorgeous and even though it was relatively close to a large industrial city and a colossus of a college, the forest surrounding the house made it seem like it was the only civilization for miles.

"Are you coming, Lizzie," Maddy asked and I realized that I had fallen behind. I hurried to catch up as they climbed the elegant staircase. It was much bigger than it appeared on the outside. So it was a cottage mansion. Yep, those words should _always_ go together in a sentence.

"This is the photo gallery," Mrs. Reynolds told us and showed us a long hallway, filled with pictures. Great, they have their own photo gallery. It looked to be arraigned in chronological order, starting at the door and ending above another set of stairs that led down. "It's not full, as you can see," Mrs. Reynolds continued with a smile. "George and Anne built this in hopes that many generations of Darcys would fill the walls. This picture right here is William's fourth birthday party. He was a clumsy child and fell into the cake." A four-year old, cake-covered Darcy grinned at me from the frame. He was…adorable. His big brown eyes were full of child-like joy and the bright blue frosting contrasted greatly with his black hair. As I meandered through Darcy's childhood, I watched his expression and demeanor change. By the time he was ten, his innocence was already fading. His smile was less bright and less…open. He seemed to be maturing too soon. At fourteen, all I could see was the Darcy that I knew and…hated? No, I didn't hate him but I didn't exactly like him either. I didn't know him well enough for that. Shaking myself from my thoughts, I glanced around and realized I was all alone in the hallway.

"Hello," I called. "Mrs. Reynolds?" I decided my only option was to randomly open doors and hope for the best. Luck was on my side. The first door I opened led me into a lush little grove. The apple and cherry blossoms surrounded me first but then I saw the pond. It was man-made and gorgeous. The warm California air caused little ripples to appear on the otherwise smooth surface. The stones surrounding were imprinted with handprints and there was an engraving.

_In memory of George and Anne Darcy. We miss you, Mom and Dad. We will always remember. I love you._

The last line was written in permanent marker instead of engraved. The handwriting was shaky and blotted and the heart-felt message brought tears to my eyes so I didn't notice the door opening.

"What are you doing here?" a voice said from behind me. I whirled around.

"Darcy!" We stared at each other for a long time. He looked just like I remembered him but maybe a little less rigid. His raven hair was mussed and hanging in his big brown eyes. He had a little bit of a stubble on his face but enough to be called a beard. Finally, the silent staring was too much for me.

"I—I thought you were in L.A. with Charles," I stammered, examining my shoes.

"Uh, no," he said just as awkwardly. "Georgie is coming home from a music camp and I wanted to be here to greet her."

"Oh," was all I said. We stood in uncomfortable silence for an extremely long time. I was ready to drown myself in the pond by the time he spoke again.

"Are you here with someone?" he asked.

"Yes," I said quickly. "My aunt grew up in Lambton and before she and my uncle take me to their ranch, she wanted to show me her childhood town."

"Where are they?" he inquired, obviously quite confused.

"Well…" I chuckled nervously. "I'm not really sure. Mrs. Reynolds showed us the photo gallery and I lost track of them somehow."

"I see," he said, although I don't think he really did. "Um, how is your family?"

"They're fine," I said. "Lydia is in Brighton for the summer and I'm going to Idaho tomorrow. Everyone else is at home."

"Idaho? Tomorrow?" he repeated. I nodded and opened my mouth to apologize for waltzing into his home but someone calling my name stopped me.

"That must be Aunt Maddy," I said. "I'm really sorry about all of this. I didn't mean to waltz into your house without permission. Goodbye."

"No wait," he said, grabbing my arm. I whirled suddenly and he lost his balance. And that was the day that I, Elizabeth Bennett, pushed Fitzwilliam Darcy into pond.

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Is that close enough to the BBC miniseries. I really do enjoy a wet Colin Firth. MMMMMM. Too bad he's WAAAAYYYY too old for me *sigh* Oh well. I will simply reiterate my plea of "Review!" This story's very life depends on it. You're it's only hope! hehehe blackmail :)


	19. Chapter 19

AN: Hello again! Thank you all for your kind reviews. I've been told that not everyone responds to blackmail, so would it make you review more if I asked nicely (warning: I don't do nice very often so it'll take some practice). If so, let me know. If you respond to my blackmail, let me know anyway! I'm one of those authors who goes through review withdrawals when I don't get enough but as of now, I have built up a tolerance, so even three or four makes me giddy. Anyway, back on to the story. Who's ready for a wet Darcy! I certainly am.

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Chapter Nineteen

I stared at the pond in horror. Darcy was spluttering and attempting to regain his balance but apparently the bottom of the pond was slippery. I just stared at his struggle for a bit, trying to get over the fact that I had pushed _Fitzwilliam Darcy _into his own pond. Eventually, I realized that I should probably help the poor kid.

"Oh my gosh, I am so sorry," I said and rushed over to the pond. "I didn't mean to. I promise. You just surprised me. I'm not used to people touching me and I was already on edge because I totally intruded on your privacy by coming here."

"Lizzie," he interrupted. "Thank you for apologizing. I know you didn't mean to but could you help me." He shot me a lopsided grin and I stared again. He had dimples! Then, I noticed his eyebrow was raised in question. I blushed and held out my hand to pull him up.

"I'm sorry," I said again, once he was back on dry land. His black hair looked even darker wet and his black t-shirt clung to his biceps. Brown eyes full of amusement stared back at me and impatiently brushed a stray curl away from his face. That's when I realized he had called me "Lizzie." He had never called me Lizzie before.

"Um, are you okay?" he asked worriedly. I shook myself from my thoughts.

"Yeah," I said. "It's just you've never called me 'Lizzie' before."

"I thought that's what you prefer to be called," he responded in confusion.

"It is," I assured him. "It was just a little surprising."

He grinned again. "I seem to be good at that. Well, since I call you Lizzie, it's only right that you call me 'Will.'" The request made me a little uncomfortable. Everyone else seemed to call him William or Darcy but I had pushed the guy in a pond. It was the least I could do.

"Okay…Will," I said hesitantly. He grin grew more pronounced and I was once again dazed by his dimples. Attractive men should not have dimples. It's just unfair to the entire female race.

"There you are," Eddie said from the doorway. "We've been looking all over for you."

"Sorry, Uncle Eddie," I said. "You guys were gone and I got lost."

"William!" Mrs. Reynolds exclaimed upon seeing him. "I didn't know you were coming home."

"I wanted to be here when Georgie got home," he explained.

"Why are you all wet?" Mrs. Reynolds asked, looking him over.

"I slipped into the pond," he lied. "Lizzie was kind enough to help pull me out."

"Well, go get changed," Mrs. Reynolds said with a smile. "I'll just show the Gardiners and Elizabeth out."

"No, that's okay," Darcy— I mean, Will—said quickly. "I haven't had the chance to talk to Lizzie for a while. If they don't mind waiting, I'll be down in a few minutes."

"I'm sorry," Maddy said. "We really must be going. Thank you so much for the offer though."

"Would you like to come to dinner with us?" Eddie asked. "I don't get the chance to meet Lizzie's friends very often."

"I'd like that," he smiled. "Would you mind if I bring my sister and her friend? They'll be journey weary but I'm sure they would love to meet you."

"That would be fine," Maddy smiled. "I've heard a lot about Georgiana Darcy and I can't wait to meet her."

"Is Rebecca coming?" I asked Will. He looked at me in surprise.

"Yes," he said. "How do you know Becca?"

"She was at the lake and I saw her slap George Wickham," I replied. "I figured she was a friend worth having."

He chuckled. "I'll have to remember to thank her. I just wish I could have seen it."

"It's was the highlight of my day," I admitted. I hoped he had gotten the message that I believed his letter.

"I look forward to meeting her," Maddy cut in, eyeing me suspiciously. Who could blame her? If I was her, I'd be doing the same thing.

"Would six work for you?" Eddie asked.

"That would be perfect," Will smiled. "I guess I'll see you all later. Goodbye, Lizzie. Mr. Gardiner. Mrs. Gardiner." Then he was gone and we were being escorted back to our car.

"I haven't seen William that happy in ages," Mrs. Reynolds commented. "I think might have something to do with you. How long do you plan to stay in the area?"

"We leave tomorrow," Eddie replied.

"Oh, that's too bad," Mrs. Reynolds said. "I'm sure William would have liked to have you around longer." She cast a glance at me and I looked down, blushing.

"I would have liked to stay longer," Maddy said. "Unfortunately, there was an emergency at the ranch and we have to get back soon."

"What type of emergency?" Mrs. Reynolds asked. She wasn't being nosy; it was just polite curiosity.

"It's been a dry year in Idaho," Eddie explained. "A few fires have started and they need me there to help."

"Are you a horsewoman then, Elizabeth?" Mrs. Reynolds asked.

I nodded. "I've been riding in the rodeo since I was eight. I took a break last year due to some…personal problems but I'm competing again this year."

"William loves to ride," Mrs. Reynolds told me. "As does Georgiana but neither really has the time anymore." We were at our car and Mrs. Reynolds smiled brightly at us.

"Goodbye, Mrs. Reynolds," I said. "It was really nice meeting you."

"I hope to see you again," she replied. "Good day." With a final wave and smile, she started walking back to the college.

"Lizzie, don't look so sullen," Maddy laughed as we walked to Sizzlers.

"This is all your fault, you know that?" I said, glaring at her. "This is going to be the most awkward dinner of all time. He hates me!"

"Darling, he agreed to come to dinner and he's bringing his only family to meet you," she said. "I don't think that hate fits into the equation. Would you like me to observe and tell you my conclusions?"

"Please don't," I begged. "I'm not sure I really want to know." And that's when Will cleared his throat from behind us. I mentally face palmed myself. Really though, I don't know why I was surprised. Leave it me to stick my foot in my mouth. Taking a deep breath and hoping my face wasn't too red, I turned to see Will and a beautiful girl with curly golden locks standing slightly behind him, looking down. Becca was nowhere in sight.

"Hello, Lizzie," he greeted me. "This is my little sister, Georgiana." He gently nudged her forward and I smiled kindly at her.

"It's so nice to meet you," I said.

"I've heard a lot about you from Will and Aunt Helen," she told me.

"Well everyone, let's head in," Eddie said cheerfully.

"Where's Becca?" I asked Georgiana as we walked side by side into the restaurant.

"She had a family emergency when we landed," Georgiana answered. "She was sorry to miss you, Elizabeth."

"I like Becca," I told her. "And please call me, Lizzie. Even your brother calls me that."

"Then will you call me Georgie?" she asked. "I like it so much more than Georgiana." She said the name with a face that made me laugh.

"Tell me something, Georgie," I started, "why does everyone call your brother 'William' instead of 'Will?'"

"I'm not sure," Georgie said. "Mom always called him 'Will' so I did too. Maybe you should ask him sometime."

I laughed. "Your brother has much better things to do than answer my questions."

"Oh no," Georgie said, wide-eyed. "Will told me that he liked your questions and debates even more than hearing you sing." I stared at her in shock for a moment. He _enjoyed_ my thinly-veiled insults? Falling back on my normal response to any awkward situation, I attempted to make a joke out of it.

"That's not saying much," I said "People exaggerated my singing way out of proportion."

"Will never lies," Georgiana told me with child-like conviction. I had forgotten that she was little more than a child but then again, neither was I. Georgiana was Lydia's age but sometimes by the way she spoke or the way she held herself she seemed much older. Even though I had just met her, I was proud of her. Most people regress instead of progress after such a traumatic experience.

Once we were finally inside and seated, we were treated to yet another surprise. Guess who else was in Lambton for summer break. That's right. The guy who was currently number four on my kill list for being a submissive doormat that let his sisters come between him and his soul mate. Numbers two and three were there as well.

"Eliza," Caroline drawled upon seeing us. I rolled my eyes. I bet she came up with that nickname herself.

"Lizzie!" Charles exclaimed. "It's so good to see you again! How's your family?"

"They're doing…fine," I answered. He looked somewhat crestfallen at that but I wasn't going to say anything to relieve his suffering. Even if Jane was still in love with him.

"Georgie, dear," Caroline gushed. "How are you?" Georgiana was looking down and blushing. I gave Caroline a look that shot daggers. She had made Georgie retreat back into her shell and just when I had gotten her started on music.

"Fine," she muttered. Will looked worried and I gave him a look that was clear in its meaning. Caroline needed to leave. Now. He nodded and turned to Caroline.

"It's nice to see you two," he said. "We were just sitting down to eat so…" He trailed off but Caroline didn't get the hint. Charles did and started to pull Caroline away.

"Would you mind if we ate with you?" she asked with all the innocence she could muster. In other words, absolutely none.

"No," Maddy said.

"Yes," Will and I muttered at the same time. I looked up and smiled at him. He winked slyly at me. I coughed into my napkin to cover my laugh.

"Lizzie, why don't you sit over here with Will and me," Georgiana suggested.

"Uh, okay," I said. Soon we were all situated but Caroline didn't look too happy about it. She was about as far away from Will as she could possibly be and I was sitting in between him and Georgiana. Don't ask me exactly how that happened because I have absolutely no idea.

"So Eliza, I hear that your little sister is in Brighton," Caroline said once we had all gotten our food. "How is it down there at the national swim meet?"

I shrugged, not willing to participate in her game. "Liddy doesn't talk to us as much as we would like but she seems to be enjoying herself."

"I heard that the Meryton senior swimmers went to the competition," Caroline said. "Was it hard to lose your little boyfriend? What was his name again? Oh yes! George Wick—"

"Georgie, would you like to get some ice cream with me?" I asked, interrupting Caroline. Georgie, the poor girl, had gone deathly pale. She nodded silently and stood when I did. Throwing a last glare at Caroline over my shoulder, I placed my arm around Georgiana's shoulders and squeezed slightly.

"Will told me that he told you," she admitted once we were away from everyone. "I'm glad you know. I like having more friends than just Becca who know. You don't think I'm a bad person, do you?"

"A bad person?" I repeated. "Georgiana Darcy, I just met you and I already know that you are one of the sweetest girls out there. What happened to you was in no way your fault. It's his. Did will tell you what happened to me? It's not nearly as traumatic as yours but…"

She shook her head. "Will never told me anything like that about you." I took a deep breath and started into my tale about Paul. About how he had abused me and told me I wasn't good enough; how he had hurt me over and over again just to say sorry and do it again. By the end, Georgie had tears in her eyes and I'm sure I did as well. Expectantly, she threw her arms around me.

"Thank you so much for telling me," she told me. "I'm so happy Will introduced us. He's been like a father to me but as much as I love him, I've always wanted a sister."

I laughed. "Well, I have four. Would you like one of them?" We shared a good-natured chuckle and walked back to the table. Caroline and Will were the only ones who noticed our extended absence. She was fuming while he looked slightly worried. His worry was assuaged by Georgiana's bright smile but that only made Caroline angrier.

"Thank you," Will whispered in my ear.

"For what?" I muttered back.

"Making Georgie smile. I haven't seen her that bright since…before."

"We simply bonded over shared experiences." He looked at me, incredulous.

"You told her about Paul?" he asked.

I nodded. "She wanted to know whether what happened to her was her fault and I told her it wasn't. I wasn't convincing enough so I told her. I hope that's okay."

"I'm okay with anything that makes her smile like that."

"Good, or else we would have had a few problems." He looked down and mumbled something that sounded like, "we've already got some." Inwardly, I sighed. He wasn't wrong. Problems still littered our relationship…did I just say that Will and I had a relationship?

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If any of you love me, please review. If you hate me, then don't tell me. Ignorance is bliss and all that. If you love the story, tell me. If you have suggestions or questions, tell me. I'd be more than happy to answer. Thanks again for reading! Love ya!


	20. Chapter 20

AN: This is a quick update. Aren't you proud of me. You guys are awesome, by the way. We're up to 67 reviews and I couldn't be happier. All of them have been pretty kind (even the ones about chapter eleven). I can't thank you enough for your feedback. Although this chapter is shorter, I think it's pretty important. It's pure fluff until the very end but Will and Lizzie are definitely bonding. Enjoy and please review.

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Chapter Twenty

After we were all full, Maddy, Eddie, and I said goodbye to the others. I saw Georgiana pull Will down to whisper in his ear. I was naturally curious. Suddenly, Will's face was transformed by a beautiful smile. He nodded and motioned toward me. Georgie timidly came up to me.

"Lizzie, would you like to stay at my house tonight?" she asked. "Then, we could drop you off tomorrow at the hotel."

"Aunt Maddy, Uncle Eddie?" I asked, looking for their permission. They exchanged a glance and I could just hear the dialogue going between them.

_Should we let her?_

_ What do you think?_

_ If it was just the girl, I wouldn't hesitate but there's also an extremely attractive boy there who's her age. Thomas would strangle us if anything happened to her._

_ Personally, I think our Lizzie can take care of herself. Let her go and have her fun. We're putting her to work for the rest of the summer, after all._

"Okay," Eddie sighed.

"I'd love to," I smiled at Georgie and the young girl squealed.

"Come on," she urged and dragged me toward a red convertible Mustang. Of course. Will followed us slowly, chuckling. He opened the door for me like a gentleman and then climbed into the driver's seat. It was a fifteen minute drive back to Pemberley and within the first two, Georgie was asleep in the backseat. Will and I were practically alone in the car. At first, the awkward was so thick it was suffocating but it was dispersed when I laughed quietly.

"What?" Will asked.

"I was just thinking about our last awkward car ride when I dropped Lydia's pack of cigarettes," I told him but then quickly closed my mouth. Why did I remind him about the family that he can't stand? He probably can't stand me anymore either.

"That was definitely awkward," he laughed. "I couldn't think of anything to say. I was about on level four on the awkward scale."

"You know about the *levels of awkward?" I exclaimed. "I thought I was the only one who thought like that."

"Apparently not," he grinned. "Tell me what level were you on during that car ride?"

"I was seriously contemplating bailing out the window and leaving you alone in a driver-less car." We both laughed at this but stopped when Georgie stirred.

"Thanks again for helping her," Will said. "I've missed my baby sister."

"She's hardly a baby anymore," I replied gently.

He sighed. "I know. That's what gets me. He ruined her innocence and I just let it happen. If only I had spent more time with her."

"No," I said firmly. "It is _not_ your fault. Wickham is the reason behind this. Georgie loves you, Will. She absolutely worships you because you saved her and she'll always be your little sister." We were outside his house no but we made no move to get out.

"What about you, Lizzie?" he asked. "How did you get over what Paul did to you? You didn't have a big brother to save you."

"I had a sister and a friend who love me," I replied. "They were the only ones who noticed that anything was wrong. Mary, Kitty, and Lydia were always in their own little world and my mother was just happy I had a rich boyfriend. Paul's father owns the arena in New York and a cattle ranch in Wyoming, by the way. My dad was always gone for work or locked away in his library. He made a few comments about how I was looking pale but never looked farther into it than that."

"I'm sorry," he said. "That must have been hard."

"It was," I told him. "Every time I tried to tell someone, he would hit me and tell me I was nothing but one day Charlotte saw his hit me and leave me where I had fallen. She took me to the doctor and the next week, I broke up with Paul. At first, I thought it was my fault. I had let him hurt me, after all, and he had always told me that I deserved everything that I got. Jane listened to me cry every night and she would hold me until I fell asleep. Then I got better."

"It wasn't your fault," Will said.

I smiled. "I know that now. Church really helped and my testimony grew. All that matters is that I'm alive and fighting."

"Definitely fighting," Will chuckled.

"Shut up," I said and nudged my shoulder with his.

"Are we…friends now, Lizzie?" he asked.

"I'd like to think so," I said. "I can't be friends with one of the Darcys and not the other, can I?"

"No, I don't think you can," he smiled.

"Will, are we home?" Georgie mumbled, sitting up, and our conversation was cut off.

Georgie and I stayed up late talking and laughing. Will joined us a few times and we had a grand old time. Just to ease my aunt and uncle's worries, Mr. and Mrs. Reynolds were staying in the guest room. Yep, I'm so bad I need chaperones. At around ten, Georgiana fell asleep. I wasn't tired yet so, I slipped out onto the balcony for some air. I was surprised to see Will leaning up against the railing, twirling a daisy in his fingers.

"Hey," I said softly. He turned to look at me with a smile.

"What're you still doing up?" he asked me.

I shrugged. "I'm more of a stay up and wake up late type of person. Mornings and I don't usually get along."

"Same here," he told me. "And yet, from what Helen tells me you take her earliest class of the day. You'd have to wake up at 4:30 to get there on time."

"Helen is worth every hour of lost sleep."

"I'll have to tell her that you mean more to her than sleep. For someone who only gets three hours of it a week, she'd be touched." I chuckled quietly.

"So I've got a question," I said. "Why didn't your parents leave Georgie to Helen and Derek or Catherine?"

"If I hadn't been eighteen when they died, they would have," he answered. "My mom saw how close we were and knew that we would need each other if they ever died. No mattered what happened, Georgie and I would be together."

"I wished I could think about my siblings like that," I sighed, leaning over the railing.

"Isn't that the way you feel about Jane?" he inquired. "And you protected Mary from those dipsticks at Charles' party. You took away Lydia's cigarettes and try to be a better example to Kitty that Lydia is. With that much responsibility and love, it's hard to get used to the feeling of utter devotion."

"That was…really deep," I said. "I didn't know you had it in you."

"I'm hurt you had so little faith in me," he replied with mock outrage.

"It's not just you," I assured him, smiling. "Boys only have three things on their minds and it almost never varies: food, sports, and girls. That's it. Every sub-category somehow contains one or more of those."

"I won't argue," Will laughed. "Girls only have two things on their minds: sports players and their appearance."

"Touché, sir," I grinned. "I take my hat off to you."

"I have won!" he exclaimed. "It's not every day that someone bests Lizzie Bennett at her own game." I just laughed and plucked the daisy from his hand to put it behind my ear.

"I'll take this as a consolation prize," I told him.

"Keep it," he said. "It looks better there than it ever did in the garden."

"Why thank you," I replied. "Daisies are one of my four favorite flowers."

"What are the other three?"

"Tulips, lilies and roses."

"That would make an extremely interesting bouquet," he teased.

"I've got it all planned out for my wedding," I informed him, "Roses and tulips in the main bouquet. Lilies in my hair and daisies on the tables. I'd also have lace daisies on my dress."

"Wow," was all he said.

I shrugged. "What girl doesn't have her wedding planned by the time she's thirteen."

"I don't think Georgiana does," he told me.

"I'm almost positive she does," I smiled. "If not, we'd better get started."

"Don't put any ideas into her head," he warned. "I don't want to stop wedding dress shopping just yet."

"Good night, Will," I laughed and kissed his cheek. I walked away calmly but I was mentally slapping myself. What made me do that?

"Good night, Lizzie," I heard him whisper. I was still smiling when I fell asleep.

An incessant buzzing woke me up at around two in the morning. Jane was calling me for some unknown reason. The buzzing stopped and I saw that she had already called twelve times and left me a few messages. Yet another one popped up as I looked through the missed calls. I listened to them all and couldn't hold the tears in. Trying not to wake Georgie, I slipped out of her room and into the hall where I broke down into helpless sobs. Because my head was in my hands, I didn't see Will's door open.

"What is it?" he asked in concern, coming to sit by me. "What's wrong?" He was wearing shorts and a t-shirt. His black hair was mussed and his brown eyes looked sleepy and concerned. Seeing that worry, I broke down into tears again. Hesitantly he took me into his arms and I sobbed into his chest.

"She's gone," I cried. "He took her away."

"Who, Lizzie?" Will urged. I just kept crying as he rubbed my back, attempting to calm me down. "Please, tell me how to help you," he begged. "What's going on? Who took who away?"

"Wickham," I wept. "He was in Brighton with Lydia. She's gone missing and she was last seen with him. She's gone and it's all my fault. I should have told her about him. I should have warned everyone." Will pulled away.

"Do you need to go back to the hotel?" he asked. I nodded silently and he walked away. I had ruined everything. I started sobbing harder once he was gone. My head and my heart hurt so badly. The tears wouldn't stop. I wasn't sure whether they were just for Lydia anymore.

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*See chapter seven for the six levels of awkward.

AN: Thank you, cordyangel14, for your suggestion. I definitely already have that part planned out but you're spot on. I will not let a fourteen year old stay forever with 23 year old rapist. Cutelilmochi, you're really observant. That's the point of the nickname "Will." I don't know if anyone noticed but earlier, he asks her to call him that _before_ he lets himself fall in love. Says something about the unconscious mind doesn't it. Thanks for all the lovely reviews. Please keep it up. Can we shoot for 75? That'd be awesome. Thanks guys!


	21. Chapter 21

AN: I'm back again. It's been a little while since I've updated, huh? I got 8 reviews for the last chapter. By the time I'm done with this story, I want to try and get up to 100 total. Is that a doable goal? I hope so cause I don't like to settle. Anyway, enjoy this new installment of a HSHS.

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Chapter Twenty-one

Will and I sat in stony silence as he drove me back to the hotel. I could feel the tears welling up again but I knew that once I started I wouldn't be able to stop. We had just started to become friends and if I admitted it to myself, now that love was impossible, I could imagine myself loving him. Was that wrong? No. Unhealthy and useless? Yes, it was. He pulled up in front of the hotel but I hesitated getting out of the car.

"Please, don't tell Georgie everything that's going on," I blurted. "She doesn't need to go through this again. Just tell her a family emergency came up."

He nodded. "I understand your feelings. Goodbye, Elizabeth. I hope things get better." My throat closed up when he called me "Elizabeth." What happened to Lizzie?

"Goodbye, Darcy," I choked out. His eyes shadowed slightly but he nodded again and drove away. _Will!_ my heart screamed. _He's your Will not Darcy. Even if you aren't Lizzie anymore, he's still Will. _I sobbed as I ran into the hotel. It took a few minutes of pounding to wake up Maddy and Eddie, but soon I was inside the room, packing. They got a full explanation of everything pertaining to Lydia. I wasn't going to burden with my own heartache and that's exactly what it was. Will's friendship had won him a coveted position in my heart and he was there to stay because that was just who I was. I had never let people in easily but once you were in, you were in. That's why it hurt so badly for him to withdraw. If only I had warned Lydia…I shook my head to clear it. It wouldn't do any good to dwell on could-have-been.

The next morning, Maddy and I were on a plane to New York while Eddie flew to Florida to help Dad find Lydia. After a week, the police still hadn't found anything and my family wasn't having much luck either. I shuddered to think about what he was doing to her. We waited in agony for a month. Finally, Dad returned home, looking sick and weary. He blamed himself for this mess and although letting Lydia go to Brighton was a horrible idea, it was Wickham's evil that caused this, not my father.

One day in the middle of July, Uncle Eddie called us. They had found Wickham and Lydia. She was safe but slightly traumatized (luckily, he never got the chance to do anything to her because they were constantly on the run). He was in custody and was facing life in jail. Jane and I burst into tear upon hearing the news. Wickham wouldn't be able to hurt anyone again and Lydia was coming home. Our mother went into full on hysterics.

"My baby!" she sobbed. "She's okay. She's okay."

"He's going away for a long time, Mama," I told her. "He won't be able to hurt anyone again and Lydia is just fine. She'll be here on Friday." Mom just continued to sob so I left her to Jane who had been taking care of her for years. I joined my father in the library where we engaged in a silent game of chess. It ended in a mutual surrender and we both went to bed weary and saddened.

The house was in an uproar on Friday morning when Lydia, looking bedraggled but healthy, came into the house followed closely by Eddie. Mary and I hung back while everyone else practically tackled her. After a quick but loving hug, Mary left the room. It probably had something to do with the mascara running down her face. Once everyone else was gone, I gave Lydia a fierce hug. She wrapped her arms around me and sobbed into my shoulder.

"I'm so sorry," I whispered, voice cracking. "I should have tried harder…"

"Don't apologize," Lydia told me, face buried in my shoulder. "I never listened to you and that's my fault. You and Jane always tried to be good examples but I never listened. If I had just listened, he wouldn't have been able to take me!" She burst into hopeless sobs and I stroked her hair as she cried.

"Did he hurt you, Liddy?" I asked. She nodded slowly.

"He hit me every time I told him 'no,'" she wept. "He kept me sedated but we were always moving, so he never did anything. Once he got so close, but I kicked him really hard."

"That's my girl," I chuckled. "I'm so proud of you for fighting back. I'm sorry you had to go through this."

"Will…Will you stay with me tonight, Lizzie?" she asked me timidly. "The dark still scares me. I feel like he's waiting for me."

"Of course, I will," I said. "Come on. I think Mom made some banana cream pie. Your favorite." I put my arm over her shoulders and together we walked into the kitchen.

* * *

Lydia was home and safe. Wickham was in jail for the rest of his life and I was getting ready to earn some money at the rodeo. Although, I never got the chance to work at Eddie's ranch, my skills hadn't diminished too much. My head wasn't exactly in the game though. I had already applied to go to U of D and gotten accepted but I wasn't sure whether I wanted to go. Will…Will was an enigma. I hadn't seen him or heard from him in a month. Was he ashamed to be connected with me in anyway? Did he hate me for what I said back in April?

"Hey there Lizzie," an unwanted voice said from behind me. I gritted my teeth and turned around.

"What do you want Paul?" I demanded.

"I just came to wish you good luck," he said innocently. "How's your ginger?"

"First of all, his name is Charles," I said. "Second of all, he's not mine. He's Jane's."

"So your sister's boy toy was attempting to protect you from a perceived 'threat?'" he asked incredulous. "I don't believe it."

"Actually, my friend, Will, told Charles to come out," I said, deathly calm.

"Fitzwilliam Darcy?" Paul said. "I saw him while I was in Florida a few weeks ago. He was dragging some girl away from a hotel. She fought him but she was stone cold drunk. That's the kind of guy your _friend_ is."

I paled. "What did the girl look like?"

"She looked a little like Liddy, but I don't know why your little sister would be in Florida."

"You have no right to call my baby sister, 'Liddy,'" I snarled. "Will is the kindest person you'll ever meet so don't talk about him in that way."

Paul held up his hands. "I just call them like I see them."

"I hope you fall off your horse," I snapped. "Go away, Paul. I never want to see you again."

"You say that now."

"I've moved on. You have no power over me anymore."

"I'll _always _have power over you, Lizzie baby," he said menacingly. "I know all about Jane's little tragedy, by the way. So that ginger didn't love her? Tell her to come to me if she's ever lonely. She's so much prettier than you ever were."

"You will stay away from my family, or I'll slowly torture you and leave you bleeding and broken in an alleyway," I threatened.

"I'd like to see you try," he smirked.

"Lizzie, you're up," one of the hands told me, interrupting the heated words I was going to fire at Paul. I nodded, ignoring Paul, and swung up onto D.W. Let the games begin.

When I was done, my family congratulated me and went out to dinner. I didn't feel like socializing right then so I decided to go home and think about what Paul had revealed to me. _Darcy_ had saved Lydia. I didn't want to know how he had done it. It would probably just make me feel more indebted to him. Why would he help Lydia? If it was just a matter of locking up Wickham, he could have done that long ago. _why _ did he do it? My musings were interrupted by Paul. He just wouldn't leave me alone. He caught up to me as I walked out to my car. I studiously ignored him and kept walking.

"Aren't you going to talk to me?"

"Nope."

"Congrats, by the way. Second in roping. Not bad."

"Go away."

"Three syllables," he exclaimed mockingly. "I must be improving in your eyes. Or maybe returning to former glory."

I snorted. "Whatever helps you sleep at night."

"You would help," he said, leering at me.

"You're a pig," I told him. "If I never see you again, it'll be too soon." He grabbed my arm and pulled me to a stop.

"I know what I want," he said. "Ginger left your sister, that Darcy dude left you, and Wickham left you too. How many guys are left to drive away?"

"You," I replied. "All the other dirt bags in the world."

"What did I ever do to you?" he demanded. "So you got a little skinnier. So what?"

"You're a manipulative, overbearing, abusive, immoral jerk who cannot be in a relationship without hurting someone. For the last time, leave me alone."

"Come on, baby," he growled. "Give me little something to remember you by, if I'm never going to see you again."

"Fine," I snapped, wrenching my arm free of his grasp. "Close your eyes and pucker up." I shook my head in disgust when he actually did as I said. He really was a moron. With that, I cocked my arm back and punched him in the nose. Blood spurted from it as he screamed in agony, clutching his face.

"You're going to pay for that, you little bi-" he snarled.

I rolled my eyes and interrupted him. "Paul, if you can't think of a better insult, you need to go back to high school. Swear words just show unintelligent you are." I patted his cheek lightly and then flicked his broken nose with a slight smile. He howled in pain. I turned my back on him, on my past, and walked away a stronger person.

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REVIEW! PPPPPPPLLLLLLLLEEEEEEEAAAAAAASSSSSSSSEEEEEEE!


	22. Chapter 22

AN: Hello all my lovely readers. We're nearing the end :'( but fear not, I've got a few more chapters left in me. I'm leaving tomorrow for a school trip to Seattle (I have to wake up at 4 in the morning. Of all the unholy hours.) so you won't get daily posts. But the good news is, I've everything typed up and uploaded onto . Enjoys guys. Can we please try for 100 reviews before the end. I'll love you all forever.

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Chapter Twenty-Two

"Why didn't you tell me that Will was the one who found you?" I asked Lydia. She was sitting with Maddy on the front room couch. Everyone else was either gone or hidden away in separate rooms.

"Who's Will?" Lydia asked in confusion. "Do we know a Will?"

"Darcy," I supplied. "I call him Will now but that's not the point. Were you ever going to tell me?"

"He told me not to," Lydia told me. "I honestly don't remember much of it anyway. Wickham had me doped up the entire time.' Now that's the Lydia I knew.

"How? When? Why?" I spluttered.

"Maybe I can help answer those," Maddy said. "Eddie called me a few days before Liddy was found to tell me that William was helping them look and they were so close. William has been helping from the beginning I understand. He paid a private investigator and I think he bought the hotel Wickham was hiding Lydia in,"

"He bought a _hotel_?" I repeated.

Lydia nodded. "Even though I was out of it, I thought that I heard something about 10 thousand." My knees buckled and my head fell into my hands. 10 thousand dollars…I was going to be sick. After hurting him so badly, he had done this for me and my family. He was the most generous, kindest, and best man in the world.

"Don't tell him that I told you," Lydia begged. "He didn't want anyone to know."

"Don't worry," I told her. "We haven't talked in a long time. I doubt I'll ever see him again." And as if she was sent for by my words, my mother rushed in.

"He's back!" she exclaimed. "Mrs. Long just saw the Bingley's returning. He's back for my dear Jane."

"Mother…" I started but thought better of it. I had more things to worry about. Thinking about it caused me to groan and hit my head against the wall. Multiple times.

"Lizzie, what are you doing?" Jane scolded, drawn in by the ruckus. "Stop it."

"I'm a horrible person," I muttered and told Jane the entire story.

"That's it," Jane said firmly. "I'm done mourning over boys. We're having a girls' night. I'll text Charlotte."

"I don't want to," I whined as she pulled out her phone. "I just want to put on my comfy sweats and read a book."

"No," Jane said simply. "Charlotte will be here in five minutes. Get ready and meet in the front hallway." I stared after my dear, sweet sister as she walked away. She had told me what to do with absolutely no regard for my feelings…I was _so_ proud of her! Five minutes later, I was unhappily seated in the back of Charlotte's car.

"What's got your panties in a twist?" Charlotte asked.

"Boys who don't know how to be stupid and jerks," I mumbled.

"So you're angry at a boy because he's smart and sweet?" Charlotte clarified. "Remind me why we aren't comedians again. I'm sure people would love to see me give in to the urge to whack you upside the back of the head. You, Lizzie Bennett, are a walking contradiction."

"I'm not in the mood," I told her. "Talk to Jane about her boy problems. Charles is back in town."

"And Darcy," Jane added. "They're both back." My head shot up at this. This was the last straw. Sometimes the universe just had it out for someone and wouldn't give up until that person was dead. This was one of those times.

"What're you going to do when you see him again?" Charlotte asked as we stopped behind a long train of cars that was backed up on the Main Street light.

"I'm going to try and be…" Jane looked out the window and her jaw dropped. "…indifferent," she finished, in a breathy voice. Then suddenly she was out of the car and running for the sidewalk where a mop of red hair was staring at Jane.

"Janie?" Charles called and started to run towards her.

"Charlie!" Jane sobbed as they met in the middle of the street. They embraced and shared a quick but loving kiss. Talk about movie moment. Charlotte and I exchanged a glance and broke into maniacal cackles.

"If that's what indifferent is, I don't want to see impassioned," I chortled.

"Love birds!" Charlotte called. "Get in the car. The light's green and traffic's moving." I quickly scrambled up into the front seat. There was no way in heck I was going to sick in between…_that._ Yes, this is me repressing a horrified shudder.

"Why did you leave?" Jane sobbed into his chest once they were comfortably situated. "Don't ever leave."

"I'm so sorry, angel," he murmured. "I'm so sorry. I promise that I will never leave your side ever again."

"Do you really promise?" Jane asked, eyes shiny with tears.

"Of course I do," Charles smiled. "I love you."

"I love you too," Jane exclaimed. "I love you so much." And the kissing started again.

"PDA, guys," I shouted. "PDA! Come on, Char. Let's head to Phillip's."

"Wait! I almost forgot about Darcy" Charles said, pulling away from Jane with a suction cup like sound (Gross!). "Darce, come on. Get in the car."

"Charles, I swear…" Darcy was holding his hand to his face and trying not to flush at the honks and shouts that followed him across the road.

"You can either sit up here with Lizzie or back there with the kissers," Charlotte told him. He glanced between them and me. Then he climbed into the back seat. Rejected just so he could sit and watch Jane and Charles snuggle. Ouch. That hurt.

"I hope you aren't averse to Phillip's," I said to Will. "That's why we're going."

"That's fine," he replied, shortly. "I hear you were in the rodeo. How did that go?"

"Let's just say that the events _after_ the actually competition were the most exciting and rewarding."

"Are you talking about breaking Paul's nose?" Charlotte asked.

"You broke Paul's nose?" Will asked and raised his eyebrow.

"He was harassing me so I punched him," I shrugged. His lips quirked up into a little half smile that I had already started to designate as _his _but soon he was back to straight faced Darcy. Smiling Will was gone. I sighed to myself. I missed my Will.

"Lizzie get up!" my mom yelled. It was midnight and I had no idea why I was being woken up. I had to go to voice lessons that next morning. It had been a two weeks since my first awkward encounter with Will and we had been thrown into company together constantly. The only time it wasn't awkward was when it hurt my heart to see him ignoring me or glaring at me. Given this, I was already not in the best mood when my mom woke me up in the middle of the night…or the beginning of the morning…or whatever. I was tired and that's pretty much the gist of it.

"What on earth do you want?" I shouted back.

"There's someone on the phone for you," she said. I groaned into my pillow and but pushed myself out of bed to answer the phone.

"Hello," I said wearily.

"Don't hello me, you little hussy," a grating voice crackled through the old speaker.

"If you didn't want me to say hello, then you shouldn't have called," I told the mystery person.

"Do you know who I am, Elizabeth Bennett?" the voice demanded.

"You're the person who woke me up in the middle of the night to tell me that I shouldn't say hello."

"You think you can talk to me like that after spreading malicious rumors about my nephew and yourself?" the voice demanded. "I insist that you stop the rumor at once."

"If I had any idea what you were talking about, I'd be happy to help you," I replied. "Oh and I was wondering, what did hello ever do to you?"

"You little disrespectful, insolent girl! I'm all Fitzwilliam has left. I will not let some common tramp claiming to be attached to him, ruin him forever."

"Ah, I should have guessed it was you, Ms. Bourgh," I said. "This is a welcome surprise. Didn't I tell you months ago that I had no more interest in the music industry?"

"Yes although, I can't imagine why. That is not the point here. Stop spreading the rumor that you and Fitzwilliam are attached."

"I didn't know there was a rumor."

"I don't believe you. Fitzwilliam is engaged to Anne. Now what do you say to that?"

"Well the first thing that comes to my mind is incest," I answered. "Then I start thinking about how Will is a twenty-one year old man. He can make his own decisions. I'd certainly trust his judgment over yours when it came to _his_ feelings."

"So you won't publicly deny that you are attached to him?" she asked.

"No."

"Will you assure me that you are not attached to him?"

"I don't see how it's any of your business, but no, Will and I are not engaged or even dating," I told her. She breathed a sigh of relief.

"And do you promise to keep it that way?" she inquired.

"No," I answered. "I will not. If Will doesn't care, neither do I. I will do as I please when it comes to my own happiness."

"You…you…" she spluttered.

"While you attempt to hurl insults at me, I'm going to hang up," I informed her. "I've had enough of you and you're wasting our money. Goodbye Ms. Bourgh." And then I hung up on the most powerful producer in America. Wow, I really was stupid. Oh well, at least Helen and I would get a laugh out of it tomorrow. Oh! I had almost forgotten. I needed to pick a song to sing at the Alumni concert at the end of the month. An idea dawned on me but was it too bold. Gathering the courage that I had gained and used to confront both Ms. Bourgh and Paul, I told Helen my song the next morning. I just hoped I didn't fail miserably.

The phone suddenly rang again and I was tempted not to answer it. It was twelve-thirty and I didn't want to have to come up with any more witty banter. Finally, I just gave in and answered the darn phone. The ringer was annoying.

"Yes," I said warily.

"Hello, Lizzie," a sweet, soft voice said. "This is Anne. Don't worry; I'm not going to yell at you like my mother. I wanted to tell you that I like and approve of you. My mother is just a little high-strung at the moment. She's worried about me, so please don't be too hard on her. She really likes you're spunk."

"Why is she worried about you?" I asked her, knowing I was prying but not really caring.

"I have leukemia," she said matter-of-factly. "The chemo-therapy has working but Mom is always worried. You're good for William, Lizzie. Don't forget that. Georgiana has told me a lot about you as well. I think you're exactly what that family needs. Perhaps you could also be what my mother and I need as well." She sounded almost shy.

"I would love to be your friend, Anne," I told her honestly. "Even Ms. Bourgh could grow on me. I love Georgie like a sister but he brother isn't my biggest fan at the moment."

"Lizzie, I know he's visiting with Charles right now," Anne said. "Try to show him that you care."

"How do you know that I care?"

"I enjoy watching people. Even when you said that you hated him, there was something else there. What is that saying that you would use a lot? 'What's meant to happen, will?' Well, I know you and Will are meant to be, so just make the timeline a little shorter."

I laughed. "I'll try my hardest, Anne."

"All my friends call me Annie."

"Goodnight, Annie," I said.

"Good night, Lizzie," she replied. "And good luck."

* * *

Yay! Another chapter done! I'll post the minute I get home on Sunday. There will be two more chapters and maybe an alternate dance scene. We'll see. Maybe if I get 100+ reviews. Oh and before you read the next chapter, I'm asking you to listen to "I won't give up" by Jason Mraz and "Superman" by Taylor Swift. You'll understand later ;) Thanks for reading!


	23. Chapter 23

AN: Hey there. So if you've forgotten, I asked you to listen to two songs before listening to this. If you didn't, you are forbidden from reading this because I want you be able to hear the songs in your head as you read. You have no other regulations. Have at it!

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Chapter Twenty-Three

The end of August arrived suddenly and without warning. Helen had been helping me prepare my song but she was still suspicious about my choice. I knew I wouldn't be able to go through with it if I told her why I chose the song. Despite my new-found confidence—real confidence, not just my old mask—I was anxiously waiting to see him in the crowd. I didn't know whether I was hoping he would be there or if he wouldn't. Every time we went somewhere we went with Charles and Jane, he glowered at and avoided me. He even avoided sitting by me at dinner and sat by my mother instead! My mother! I started think that it was a bad idea…No he had to know. If he didn't come, I'd give up.

By six, I was a jumble of nerves. When I glanced out into the audience, I saw Jane and Charles but no Will. My heart clenched and tears came to my eyes. He wasn't here. I closed my eyes. I'd never get the chance to thank him or tell him that I…

"Lizzie?" a familiar voice said from behind me. I whirled and stared into a beautiful pair of chocolate brown eyes

"Will!" I exclaimed. "What're you doing back here? Why aren't you in the audience?"

"Helen didn't tell you?" he asked, that unruly curl falling into his eyes. "I'm preforming as well. Actually, I think I'm opening the concert."

"You're the mystery singer!" I said. "I should have known." We both shared a laugh at this. Unconsciously, we had gravitated toward each other and were only a few inches apart. I could smell his cologne and if I took a step closer, my ear would be over his heartbeat. He lifted his hand as if to touch my face but stopped himself at the last minute. My heart broke a little.

"I picked a special song," he told me. "Will you please listen carefully?"

"Of course," I answered. "Will, I have to thank you for finding Lydia."

"Think nothing of it," he said, a small smile on his face, "and listen to my song."

"Five minutes, William," Helen told him, coming around the corner. "Go get ready to go on."

"Yes, ma'am," he chuckled and walked away.

"Lizzie, you go on right after him," Helen said. "Go wait in the wings and watch the performance." I smiled but did as she said. My curiosity was overwhelming. Why did he want me to listen so closely to his song? I had my answer when he stepped onto the stage. The cheer was deafening and he bowed to acknowledge the audience.

"Hello everybody," he smiled. "My aunt and Mr. Drew asked me to sing the first number for you and I'd like to dedicate it to someone special. I won't tell you her name but I'll tell you that I love her more than anything and would do anything for her. I said some things I'm not proud of and I'm apologizing right now. I'm begging for her forgiveness because she means everything to me. So this song is for the girl of my dreams." He nodded to the band and they started playing "I Won't Give Up" by Jason Mraz. His rich, deep voice enchanted me as he sung to whoever he loved. I hoped it was me. I hoped he was telling me that no matter how badly we fought, he wouldn't give up on me. When he caught my eyes, I knew. I could see it. He still loved me...me. He still loved _me_! Tears ran down my face and I had to run backstage before anyone saw them. The last thing I saw from the stage was Will's face fall but he kept on singing.

I got my make-up redone and got ready to go onto the stage. With a deep breath, I stepped out under the lights. Will was just leaving and I couldn't bring myself to meet his eyes. My resolve would crack. Mr. Drew waited for me in the middle of the stage. He introduced me and I heard someone turn my microphone on.

"Hey guys," I smiled. "It seems that everyone is dedicating songs tonight. My song is dedicated to someone who I hurt really badly last April. He's here tonight and I just want to say I'm sorry, that I was totally, and completely wrong." I smiled at my band, who hadn't expected this. My drummer caught my cue and started the song. I took another deep breath and started to sing.

_Tall, dark, and supermanly_

_He puts paper in a briefcase_

_And drives away to_

_Save the world or go to work_

_It's the same thing to me…_

When people recognized Taylor Swift's "Superman," they went crazy. I glanced to where Charles and Jane were sitting. Will was there, staring up at the stage. His mouth was hanging over slightly. When I sang the most important line, _I always forget to tell you, I love you, I love you... forever_, I looked straight at him. He noticed and a beautiful smile lit up his face. He started to push through the crowd to get closer to the stage. I winked at him when I sang, _he's complicated, he's irrational_, and he laughed. He was almost to the front of the stage. A few people glowered at him for pushing past them, but he didn't seem to notice. He was at the stage by the last chorus and by the last line; he was standing next to me.

"_When you come back down,_" I sang, staring into his eyes. He smiled gently and touched my cheek. I could hear Helen shouting for the techies to turn off my microphone.

"Well, I'm back down," he said. "Are you really going to be around?"

"Are you?" I countered.

"Always."

"Well then."

"I love you," he whispered.

"I love you, too…" I said with a small smile, "…Superman." He chuckled quietly and kissed me. Yes, Fitzwilliam Darcy kissed me in front of the entire town. He even twirled me around like in the movies. After Mr. Drew had shooed us off the stage with a good natured joke and smile, Helen greeted us with a glare.

"What?" Will asked.

"Why didn't you tell me?" she demanded. "If I would have known, I would have helped both of you. Heck, I would have set up a meeting."

"You really didn't expect anything?" he asked. "You helped both of us work on our songs."

Helen scoffed. "No offense but you two never seemed like the best of friends."

"Wait until you hear the entire story," I laughed.

"There's more to this story?" Helen said. "Now I've got to know."

"No," Will said. "Lizzie and I are leaving. Right?" He looked at me expectantly.

"Right," I smiled. "I'm almost positive that my sister is having a heart-attack right now."

"We'll talk to you later, Aunt Helen," Will called over his shoulder as he dragged me away.

"What was that about?" I asked with a laugh. "Are we really going to see Jane and Charles?"

"Eventually," he murmured and kissed me softly.

"You just wanted the excuse to get me alone so you could kiss me," I accused, pulling away.

He chuckled and kissed me again. "You can't prove anything."

"Come on," I said, rolling my eyes, "let's go see my sister."

"Do we have to?" he whined, attempting to pull me to him again. "I'd rather just stay right here."

"Fine," I smiled. "We'll stay here and wait for Helen to find us. I'm sure she won't ask any questions about anything."

"I hate it when you're right," he grumbled. I laughed. "But I love your laugh," he said, "and your eyes, and your nose, and you."

"Oh, now you have a way with words," I cried in false exasperation and kissed him quickly before pulling away. "Catch me if you can." I laughed as I ran out into the crowd. He quickly caught up with me because upon seeing us, the crowds parted with stares of awe.

"You think they'll ever get over it?" he whispered in my ear and took my hand.

"Nope," I whispered back.

"Kiss her!" some fool yelled. I glanced up and saw Charles Bingley smirking at us. Of course.

"Don't have to tell me twice," Will mumbled and kissed me in front of the entire town…again. Cat calls and nudges followed us all the way over to Charles and Jane. As expected, Jane was practically gaping. Lydia and Kitty were much the same. Mary on the other hand…

"I totally knew it," she said smugly. I rolled my eyes. The rest of the concert was pretty amazing. Listening to good music, surrounded by people I loved, and holding hands with the best guy in the world. What could be better than that? Throughout the entire thing, Will got a few glares—which was kind of flattering—and I got _a lot_ more. A few people winked at us, while others just ignored us. Those people were my favorite.

Afterwards, Will walked me to his car and offered to drive me home. I accepted and happily climbed into his car. For a long time, we just drove in comfortable silence. He held my hand and a few times, I laid my head on his shoulder. Sometimes when a song came on the radio, he would sing it to me.

"I'm going to U of D," I blurted out eventually.

"You're going to U of D?" he repeated slowly.

I nodded. "I applied when I had nothing but free time when Lydia was missing and I got accepted."

"You applied in June?" I ducked my head and blushed. "Does this mean that you've loved me since June?"

"I don't think I realized it at the time," I said, slightly embarrassed, "but yes." He pulled over the car and I looked up in confusion. Suddenly, I was being kissed and by the time he pulled away, I was breathless.

"I love you so much," he whispered. "If Catherine hadn't told me about her call, I never would have hoped. I can't believe she said those things to you. I'm so sorry I didn't come back sooner."

"You're here now and that's all that matters," I said but then my lips were a little occupied.

After an awesome make out session—don't judge me! It was nice!—he drove us to the little hidden grove in the park. He had brought a blanket so we laid back on that, looking up at the stars while holding hands. Every so often I would catch him staring at me and I would smile shyly.

"Explain something to me," he said finally. "Why did you think that I only stared at you to be critical?"

"You already know my background with Paul," I replied. "Well, I was so used to being told that I was ugly and fat that I just didn't think anyone could truly love me. That's why I was so biased against rich guys and, well, guys in general. I never wanted to be in a controlling, abusive relationship ever again so I got tough and made everybody think I was okay. I believe that hardships make you stronger, so I only look back on my troubles so I can see how much I've grown."

I chuckled quietly. "That entire speech I gave him back in October had been rehearsed time and time again. For the past two years, I had been obsessing over what to say to him and now I'm just glad I had the strength to break it off. If I didn't, I'm pretty sure I would have never met you."

"That got a little off the original topic," Will commented with a chuckle, "but that's okay. Thank you for confiding in me. I'll return the favor. Georgie calls it my Murderous Mask because it looks like I give everyone a death glare, or so she says. It only falls into place when I'm uncomfortable, like when I'm talking to an enchanting girl with beautiful blue eyes. And don't you always say that what's meant to be will be. Well, we were meant to be Elizabeth Bennett and no matter what we would have found each other."

"When did you first fall in love with me, Will?" I muttered sleepily, snuggling closer to him. He chuckled and wrapped his arms around me.

"Why do you like asking me difficult questions?" he teased. "I don't think I could put a time or place on it because it came on so gradually. Actually that's a lie. I was denying my feelings for so long that I don't know when it actually started. I'd have to say it was when you told me to avoid the punch. You looked so beautiful with your eyes sparkling in amusement. Then you just walked away like you didn't care whether I drank it or not. Now I see that you really didn't care. What about you, sweetheart? When did you fall in love with me?"

"When I saw your garden," I answered and drifted to sleep with his deep laugh replaying in my mind.

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There is one more chapter! Don't give up on me just yet. I love you guys!


	24. Chapter 24

AN: This is the end...This is the happy ending that everyone is looking for. Yes indeed, it's cheese covered cheesiness. Now that I've got it all typed up (this is the first book that I've finished. Ever) I'm going to edit it and send it into a publisher...I'm not really sure exactly what the process is so if anyone does, let me know! Thanks everyone. Enjoy the last installment of a HSHS.

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Epilogue

It's been two years since I first told Will that I loved him. I went to Derbyshire and I'm graduating next May with a degree in English education. Will decided he wanted to stay close so we live in same apartment complex—no, not like that. Get your minds out of the gutter!—and with what little free time we have, date exclusively. Georgiana is graduating soon but at the moment, we're in Meryton again because Jane's going to have a baby. She and Charles got married the January after the concert. They had gone to school at Longbourne College but now they're thinking about transferring to U of D. Will and I encourage them especially now that I'm going to be an aunt. Tonight, Will wants to do something without the rest of my family. He told me he had a surprise and I'm naturally suspicious.

"Where are you taking me?" I ask as he leads me somewhere. I can't actually see because he blindfolded me with one of his ties. It smells like his cologne.

"If I could tell you that," he says while squeezing my hand, "I wouldn't have blindfolded you." He falls silent again and leaves me to my thoughts. I had long since decided that Charles and Jane were the happiest couple in the world—except Will and me, of course—but their life seemed so…boring. Will and I still constantly bicker but we're stronger after a fight. Jane and Charles never fight and everything is perfect in their life. I would never be able to stand it.

"Are we there yet?" I whine.

"Not yet, babe," he says and laughs at the face I make.

"Don't let me ever hear you say that again. Ever."

"Then stop whining," he chuckles and kisses me quickly. I obediently shut up…for the time being, anyways. My curiosity is getting the better of me and I attempt to take off the blindfold. Will chuckles again and stops my efforts. "Patience, love." I huff but don't try again. Five minutes later, Will stops me.

"Can I take off the blindfold now?" I inquire.

"I've got it," he says and I can feel the smile in his voice. His deft fingers soon undo the knot that he had previously tied. "Don't open your eyes," he orders, as the silk tie is taken off my face. I keep my eyes closed for as long as I can but the temptation is too great. When I open my eyes, Will's face is an inch away from mine. I could feel his warm breath on my face.

"You held out longer than I thought you would," he mumbles and brushes the hair away from my face. He leans in and kisses me slowly, sweetly. I immediately feel his loss when he pulls away.

"Don't look too pleased with yourself," I say upon seeing his somewhat smug expression.

"Come sit with me," he says and moves out of the way so I can see where we are. In the center of our grove is a candle-lit dinner. He had decorated it and made everything look magical.

"What is all this?" I ask.

He smirks. "It's been two years exactly from the day we first met at that dance."

"You remembered that?"

"Every day. I remember a beautiful girl telling me to avoid the punch unless I wanted to get plastered. Even then, you enchanted me. I remember that as the day I fell in love even if I didn't know it yet." I reward his speech with a kiss. He pulls away and goes over to the table. "Happy anniversary," he says, coming back over to me. He holds out a bouquet of all my favorite flowers. I see an intricately carved, wooden rose settled happily with the daisies, lilies, and tulips.

"Thank you," I say with a loving smile. "They're beautiful."

"There's a note," he tells me. I start searching for it and find it tied to the wooden rose. His easy, elegant writing pops out at me on the front of the card, which reads "To my only love." I open it with a small smile.

_My Lizzie,_

_I swear that I will love you until the last flower dies. It holds a surprise. Find it._

_Love,_

_Your Will._

I inspect the wooden rose for any sort of opening and I eventually find a little latch. When I pull it, the petals of the rose spring open. Nestled in the center is a beautiful diamond ring. With tears in my eyes, I look up to see Will smiling at me while holding a stereo. He hits play and "Marry Me" by Train comes on. The tears flow down my face.

"Two years ago, I never got the chance to dance with you," he says, putting the stereo down.

"That's your own fault," I chuckle wetly.

He smiles and wipes my tears away with his thumbs. "I know. I don't want to miss any more dances, Lizzie. I don't want to miss a single day of your life. I want to be there when you wake up and when you go to sleep. I want to kiss you in front of the whole town again," I laughed at that, "and most of all, I want to spend eternity with you. So Elizabeth Jennifer Bennett, will you marry me?"

"Yes," I whisper, voice shaking. "I love you so much. Of course, I'll marry you." He kissed me and twirled me around, just like he did at the Alumni concert.

We were married the following April on the anniversary of his first disastrous proposal. By the next January, we had our first child; a beautiful little girl named Rose Anne Darcy who had her father's dimpled smile and her mother's blue eyes. Will and I always went back to our grove on our anniversary and there we danced to whatever song we had decided was the theme song of the year. Naturally, we lived happily ever after.

The End

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This is it, my dears. I might be tempted to write an alternate dance scene if you so desire. What I had in mind is using something that actually happened to me. Yes, there are jerks who actually say what Darcy said in the real world. Unfortunately this guy hasn't changed and is currently playing with the hearts of two of my friends. This is really more a venting exercise than anything else but if you want, I'll be happy to share with you. Thank you so much for your support! I love ya!


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